Rory McIlroy will finally get the chance to make his TGL debut on Monday night, as his Boston Common team take on Tiger Woods and Jupiter Links at the SoFi Center.
There may have been plenty of comparisons between LIV Golf and the recently-launched TGL, but co-founder Rory McIlroy believes the simulator league ranks above the breakaway circuit in one key aspect.
McIlroy – who co-founded TGL alongside Tiger Woods – will compete at the SoFi Center for the first time, and will do so against Woods as Boston Common take on Jupiter Links. Unsurprisingly the Northern Irishman has been a huge advocate for the league ever since details were released in 2022.
The move away from traditional golf competition, did see it draw similarities to the LIV setup, a league both McIlroy and Woods had been historically critical of amid their PGA Tour loyalties.
In particular, the team aspect of TGL has seen it follow in the footsteps of the Saudi-funded circuit, but McIlroy believes the geographical focus on the franchises competing in the simulator league puts it above the model used at LIV. “I think that’s what TGL has done maybe a little bit better to connect with certain fan bases than, say, LIV, for example,” McIlroy said in December.
He continued: “Team golf has been around since 1927 in the professional game, you go back to a Ryder Cup. But I think the one thing what TGL has done a good job of is trying to locate the different teams in cities or geographies where you can really plug into the wider sports fans of that city.”
McIlroy plans on connecting strongly with the Boston community since this city has an established history of overwhelmingly supporting sports teams. McIlroy remarked “Everyone knows how devotedly Boston fans back their teams so I wanted to connect with that energy.” McIlroy intends to connect with Red Sox supporters and the entire sporting community.
The Celtics and Bruins and Patriots create an essential link between sport and people in my opinion. One of the four-time major winner Keegan Bradley is thrilled to play for Boston because he loves the city’s major sports teams.
Bradley shared during this month that he had always yearned to play professionally for all three Boston teams and the four franchise teams but he knew it would remain unattainable for him. Through TGL and Boston Commons I never thought this opportunity would come true to play for the city of Boston which made this experience incredibly special for my family and me as I get ready to start playing.
Bradley competes with McIlroy and Adam Scott on Monday as part of the tree-man Boston Common team in their simulator match. The two teams will square off at Woods’ Jupiter Links venue with Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner competing as Woods’ teammates.