The New York Golf Club faces The Bay Golf Club to kick-start the TGL in its inaugural season at the cutting-edge, 250,000-square-foot SoFi Center on Tuesday, January 7.
TGL — Tomorrow’s Golf League — is led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and players will wear microphones during play to offer insight into their strategies and emotions.
Here is our breakdown of the format, top golf picks, and TGL predictions for Tuesday’s matchup between The New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club, airing on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET.
How does the TGL work?
Each TGL — Tomorrow’s Golf League — match delivers high-stakes competition and strategy across two sessions. It begins with a nine-hole, 3-on-3 alternate-shot format called "triples." Then, golfers will battle in head-to-head singles consisting of six holes, with each playing two.
Additionally, a 40-second shot clock will keep the pace fast, with any violation costing the player one stroke. Every hole awards a point. There are also two more unique twists:
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Each team has two timeouts per session available.
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There is a “Hammer” that can be played at any time to increase the value of the hole by one point. One team starts the match with it (The Bay Golf Club on Jan. 7), and then possession of the Hammer is switched once it’s played. When the Hammer is played against a team, that team can decline it but concede the hole.
If the teams are tied at the end, the match heads to overtime, where players face off, and the team landing the closest shot to the pin secures the win.
The players will hit into a massive 64-by-53-foot screen that’s 24 times larger than the typical golf simulator. Players will also be hitting off real grass fairways and rough and tackling sand sourced from a rare variety found at just one other course in the southeastern United States.
Once the ball reaches the green, the action shifts to the GreenZone — a 41-yard-wide turntable green capable of replicating countless hole configurations, adding a dynamic twist to the short game.
| New York Golf Club | Bay Golf Club |
|---|---|
| Matt Fitzpatrick | Ludvig Aberg |
| Rickie Fowler | Wyndham Clark |
| Xander Schauffele | Shane Lowry |
| Cameron Young (not listed as starter) | Min Woo Lee (not listed as starter) |
New York Golf Club vs Bay Golf Club predictions
Best bet: Bay Golf Club (+100 at DraftKings)
There are two things I’m certain of ahead of this TGL opener:
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There will be tremendous variance as players adjust to the uniqueness of these matches.
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Xander Schauffele is the best player on either team.
Still, I like the underdog Bay Golf Club because I peg Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, and Shane Lowry right behind Schauffele and well ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick and Rickie Fowler.
Additionally, the gap between Schauffele and Aberg is slim, and Aberg and Clark just topped both Schauffele and Fitzpatrick in the Sentry. I also like the collected ball-striking prowess of the Bay Golf Club more over the past year:
| Golfer | DataGolf True Strokes Gained: Approach |
|---|---|
| Xander Schauffele (NYGC) | +0.94 (6th) |
| Shane Lowry (BGC) | +0.80 (10th) |
| Ludvig Aberg (BGC) | +0.71 (14th) |
| Wyndham Clark (BGC) | +0.26 (74th) |
| Rickie Fowler (NYGC) | +0.03 (100th) |
| Matt Fitzpatrick (NYGC) | -0.08 (114th) |
Iron play into the simulator should prove to be quite consistent, while the unique green complex should prove to require more of a learning curve. The wrong team is the betting favorite in the TGL opener.
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