When Does TGL Start?

Rory McIlroy (left) and Tiger Woods share a joke on the 18th green during the first round of the The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

The countdown is on until Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL begins. Discussed publicly for the first time in August 2022, a brand new golf league - working in association with the PGA Tour - that features cutting edge technology and 24 of the world's best male players is now just a matter of weeks away.

While we are yet unsure as to exactly which teams and golfers will be facing off in week one, it has been revealed that the first tee shot into a giant simulator screen at the purpose-built SoFi Centre in Florida should take place on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 9pm ET (2am GMT).

Almost 2,000 fans will be in attendance at the Palm Beach State College arena when it does, while official broadcaster ESPN will be showing the action live on TV via ESPN and ESPN+.

Each fixture is supposed to last no more than two hours, with 15 holes of action split into two sessions. The first half will see three of each team's quadrant battle it out across a nine-hole alternate shot match, while the final six holes will be contested in two-hole stints of singles matches. Each hole won secures a point for that team.

Should the game require overtime, players will face off in a closest-to-the-pin competition where the winner is decided by landing two consecutive shots closer to the hole than their opponent.

(Image credit: TGL)

Founder McIlroy has previously stated that TGL matches will always take place early in the week to avoid clashes with regular PGA Tour events. With that in mind, the second round of competition has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 16 at the slightly earlier time of 7pm ET (midnight GMT).

Prior to the actual golf beginning, TGL announced there will be a preview show on Saturday, December 30, 2023 - shown live on ABC to encourage more people to watch and bring everyone who is interested up to speed on how the TGL will work. But an official start time is yet to be confirmed.

Each team will play the other five golf clubs in separate weeks across the regular season, with the Playoff round and Championship week expected to occur prior to The Masters in April.