Winner of 82 PGA Tour titles and 41 European Tour trophies - including 15 Major championships - Tiger Woods has been a serial victor across his career no matter the format or who organized the event.
However, bookmakers apparently do not expect his success to carry into the inaugural season of TGL this year, with each of the other five teams in the competition possessing shorter odds than Woods' Jupiter Links GC.
Given they have two players outside the world's top-800 and none who qualified for the Tour Championship last season, their status as rank outsiders is perfectly understandable.
Woods is World No.1124 with only a handful of starts in the past 12 months while Kevin Kisner is at World No.827 and could be winding down his playing days after being confirmed as Golf Channel's Lead Analyst for 2025. Plus, neither Max Homa (No.41) nor Tom Kim (No.21) start 2025 inside the top-20 after frustrating campaigns last term.
They have been priced at +600 by BetMGM, with Los Angeles GC noted down as the early favorites to etch their names into the history books as the first winners (+350). World No.4 Collin Morikawa leads Tommy Fleetwood (No.9), Sahith Theegala (No.13) and Justin Rose (No.47) into battle in the tech-infused league.
LA's average world ranking is currently 18.25, but that is almost double the joint-second favorites - Boston Common Golf Club - whose team possesses an average world ranking of just 9.75.
World No.3 Rory McIlroy heads an extremely strong quartet which also includes Hideki Matsuyama (No.6), Keegan Bradley (No.12) and Adam Scott (No.18). They are priced at +400 - as are state rivals - New York Golf Club, despite the latter only being able to boast the fifth-best average world ranking position and 2024 FedEx Cup finishing position.
Averaging 39.5 in terms of world rankings and 47.25 in relation to the 2024 FedEx Cup, New York's squad is made up of Xander Schauffele (No.2), Cameron Young (No.39), Matt Fitzpatrick (No. 42) and Rickie Fowler (No.72).
New York will be in action against The Bay Golf Club in week one of TGL 2025, slated for Tuesday, January 7, with the California-themed side fifth favorites for the crown at +500 ahead of Atlanta Drive GC (+450).
World No.5 Ludvig Aberg and World No.7 Wyndham Clark will be ably supported by Shane Lowry (No.27) and Min Woo Lee (No.49) in 2025, with an average world ranking of 22 meaning The Bay possibly represent very good value for an outside pick.
Atlanta Drive - represented by the all-US quartet of Patrick Cantlay (World No.11), Billy Horschel (No.16), Justin Thomas (No.19), and Lucas Glover (No.50) - are fourth favorites, but the betting odds remain extremely tight before a ball has been struck as a result of the numerous unknowns.
Each competitor will have to aclimatize themselves to the new surroundings and tactical nuances of the league while teams work out which players might thrive best in different formats of the fast-paced event.
As a result, the sides with higher-ranked golfers in could fall behind the eight ball early if they are slower to understand how best to implement their strategy.
Woods' side is not expected to reach the playoffs come March, given Jupiter Links' average OWGR is 503.25 and half of the team is not playing regularly, however, the 49-year-old walked both days at December's PNC Championship and almost brought home the title alongside son Charlie via some clutch strokes.
Plus, in the build-up to that event, Woods was filmed hammering drives into the giant screen at SoFi Centre, Florida, so it remains a very real possibility that the Californian might continue to surprise people just a few months on from his latest back surgery.
TGL BETTING ODDS 2025
Outright winner odds are via Bet MGM.
Average positions correct as of Jan 1, 2025.
