The first-ever TGL match between New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club is set to take place on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. TGL, which stands for Tech-Infused Golf League, is the brainchild of golfing superstars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. This indoor golf league will be held at the custom-built SoFi Center with a focus on introducing a new audience to the game of golf through innovative technology and new viewing experiences.
Each of the six teams in TGL will consist of four golfers, but only three will represent their team in standalone fixtures each week. The teams will compete in a round-robin system, playing each of the other five clubs once with the top four progressing to the playoffs. The matches will consist of 15 holes of golf played over a two-hour period, featuring a mix of alternate-shot and singles formats on a selection of custom-designed holes.
In the opening match between New York and The Bay, it will be an east coast versus west coast showdown with Xander Schauffele leading New York and Wyndham Clark leading The Bay. Despite being the two youngest teams in TGL, New York and The Bay display a contrast in their playing styles, with The Bay leading in driving distance off the tee. The teams have selected their line-ups for the match, with Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Xander Schauffele representing New York and Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, and Ludvig Aberg representing The Bay.
The match will kick off with Shane Lowry taking the inaugural tee shot on the 377-yard par-4 hole named ‘The Plank’. Each team will have the opportunity to use The Hammer, a score modifier that increases the value of a hole by one point. The Bay has chosen to rest Min Woo Lee for this match, while Cameron Young will not be part of New York’s line-up. The singles match will feature Schauffele against Aberg in what promises to be an exciting competition between the two teams.
The match is scheduled to start at around 9pm ET on Tuesday, January 7, with live coverage on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States and Sky Sports Golf in the UK. New York enters the match as the heavy favorite, with betting odds favoring Schauffele’s team at -138 compared to +100 for The Bay. Overall, New York is listed as the third favorite to win the TGL title, while The Bay is ranked as the second least likely team to win the SoFi Cup at the end of the season.
