TGL Golf explained: Format, rules and how the indoor simulator league operates

The first season of the TGL is nearly here, but what is it?

First off, TGL stands for Tomorrow's Golf League and it's an indoor simulator league, backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TMRW Sports. TGL makes its debut Tuesday, Jan. 7 in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.

The six-team league of PGA Tour pros will compete within the custom-built SoFi Center, a 250,000-square-foot venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The structure suffered a setback when the roof collapsed on the original tech-infused arena for golf due to a power failure, causing damage to the air-supported dome. The virtual golf league was postponed from 2024 until 2025, but it's here.

In fact, Woods called the roof collapse a "blessing", because it kept the league from rushing into its first season.

But how does TGL work?

TGL golf format, how the league works

Each match will feature two sessions with different formats. Session 1 will be nine holes of “Triples,” three vs. three team alternate shot. Session 2 is six holes of “Singles,” a head-to-head competition where each competitor plays two holes.

Holes are worth one point each, and the team with the fewest shots on a hole wins the point. Ties are worth 0 points. If a match is all square at the end of the 15 holes, players will compete head-to-head until a team hits two shots closer to the pin than its competitors.

What is the TGL point system?

The TGL regular season points system resembles the NHL: A win in regulation or overtime is worth 2 points, a loss in overtime is good for 1 point, and a loss in regulation is worth 0 points.

At the end of the regular season, the top-four teams on the points list advance to the playoffs. The semifinals will be single elimination and the finale, the Championship Series, will be a best-of-three competition.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: What is TGL golf's format? How the indoor simulator league works