Tiger Woods of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk to the 11th fairway during a practice round ahead of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 3, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia.
Christian Petersen | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s indoor golf league, TGL, has postponed its inaugural season by a year until early 2025, the organization said Monday.
The decision comes after the roof of the new arena, where TGL matches were to take place, collapsed last week. The league said the power system used during the construction of the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, failed, causing a dome structure to deflate.
The accident caused no injuries or damage to the league’s golf simulators and other technology, TGL said. But TGL postponed the season, expected to start in January, after discussions with key partners.
“This decision came after reviewing short-term solutions, potential construction timelines, player schedules and the primetime sports television calendar,” the league said in a statement. “We are confident that the extension will only improve our delivery.”
TGL, which counts the PGA Tour as a partner, was founded by McIlroy, Woods and former NBC executive Mike McCarthy. The trio wants to create a primetime indoor golf league to attract new fans to the sport as the rise of Saudi-backed LIV Golf and then its proposed merger with the PGA Tour left golf at a crossroads.
Woods was optimistic about the future of the competition despite the delayed launch.
“While the events of last week will force us to adjust our timelines, I am confident that this concept will be brought to life by our amazing committed players,” Woods said in a statement on Monday.
TGL has included some of the best golfers in the world in its line-up. It is unclear how the new timeline may affect player participation.
The league has also attracted a number of high-profile team owners and investors, including hedge funder Steve Cohen, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Fenway Sports Group, tech founder Alexis Ohanian and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. Other investors in the league include basketball great Stephen Curry, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, women’s soccer player Alex Morgan, singer Justin Timberlake and professional soccer players Tony Romo and Josh Allen.
TGL signed a multi-year media rights deal with ESPN in October to broadcast its events.
ESPN said it fully supports the decision to postpone the 2024 season.
“We’ve believed in them and their vision from the beginning, and that hasn’t changed. The extra time to plan, test and rehearse will only make it better,” said Rosalyn Durant, executive vice president, programming and acquisitions at ESPN .
