Tiger Woods' new TGL golf league taking shape as huge dome goes up at Palm Beach State College
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If you happen to drive down RCA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and look toward Palm Beach State College's athletic field, you may be wondering: What is that enormous white dome that seemed to have arisen overnight?
The dome is the main piece at the site of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL, a new golf league that infuses technology with in-person golf.
With groundbreaking on the site in February, construction has been happening fast, with the league expected to start play in January.
On Monday, Oct. 9, the air-supported dome went up. At nearly 250,000 square feet, it will hold close to 2,000 people. It is 75 feet high and covers almost the entire football field-sized athletic field.
It will include a 46-by-64-foot screen — nearly 20 times larger than a simulator screen. The "SoFi Center," as it will be called, will include a 40-yard-wide short-game complex featuring three dynamic putting surfaces within the 3,800 square-foot green and three sand bunkers where the stars will compete.
More: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy help break ground on TGL venue at Palm Beach State College
This is how the league will work: Pro golfers play both virtually and in-person within an enclosed arena. The idea of the project is to “bring golf into the 21st century,” says McIlroy. Woods (Jupiter Island) and McIlroy (Jupiter) both live within 20 minutes of PBSC's Palm Beach Gardens campus.
What other famous golfers will play in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL golf league?
Along with commitments from Woods and McIlroy, TGL's roster includes four other players in the Top 10 in the world rankings: No. 3 Jon Rahm, No. 6 Xander Schauffele, No. 7 Max Homa and No. 8 Matt Fitzpatrick. The roster also includes major champions Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott and Justin Rose, as well as Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel.
The format calls for six three-man teams to compete against each other. There will be 15 weekly matches, followed by semifinals and finals matches.
The league will start in late January, with 15 regular-season Monday night events consisting of six teams of three PGA Tour players each competing head-to-head in 18-hole match play. The matches will be capped at two hours.
More: SoFi Technologies named sponsor for TGL and golf venue on Palm Beach State College campus
TGL will be sponsored by SoFi Technologies
On Oct. 3, the TMRW Sports Group announced a multiyear commercial partnership with SoFi Technologies to become the presenting sponsor of TGL.
SoFi will have its name emblazoned on the Palm Beach Gardens venue. SoFi already has a large presence in sports — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, serves as the home stadium for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
Serena, Venus Williams among Los Angeles Golf Club owners
Here are the four teams, and their owners, in the league so far:
TGL Atlanta: Led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer's Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores)
TGL Boston: Led by John Henry, Tom Werner and Fenway Sports Group (MLB's Boston Red Sox, English soccer team Liverpool FC, NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins)
Los Angeles Golf Club: Led by Alexis Ohanian (National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC), tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams and a group of limited partners: NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his three brothers, soccer stars Alex Morgan and Servando Carrasco and pro golfer Michelle Wie West.
TGL New York: Led by Steven A. Cohen (owner of New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tiger Woods' new TGL golf league taking shape in South Florida
