TGL team make emergency one-match signing of star name as British duo are forced to miss crunch clash
TGL team Los Angeles Golf Club have confirmed they’ve signed Tony Finau on a unique one-match deal. Six-time PGA Tour winner Finau has not featured in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new golf league yet but has been drafted in by LAGC as a last-minute replacement. Tony Finau is set to make his TGL debutGetty LAGC has been made up of Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood so far this season. But ahead of their clash with New York Golf Club on Monday evening, it has been confirmed that Rose and Fleetwood will not be able to tee it up. Instead – and in an unprecedented move in the new TGL format – the league has confirmed Finau has penned a one-game deal to fill in. Finau said: “I’ve watched many of the TGL matches these past six weeks and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to be a part of it and compete. “Team golf is always fun and exciting. “Collin, Sahith, Justin and Tommy are great guys that I respect and enjoy being around. I appreciate Los Angeles Golf Club calling me up for this match. “I’m excited to get to SoFi Center. The place looks electric, and I can’t wait to see it all first-hand and practice with the team. “Monday is going to be a fun night.” LAGC are currently second in the standings after three games and can clinch a playoff berth by beating New York on Monday. Neal Hubman, Co-Founder and President of LAGC, added: “We were aware that Justin and Tommy would take this week abroad to spend time with family, which created a unique opportunity for us to have Tony join LAGC for this match. The new TGL has been a big hit with fans so farGetty “Tony is one of the most well-liked players in the game and has dedicated significant time and energy to make golf more accessible and available to youth, which aligns with LAGC’s efforts. “We look forward to welcoming him to the LAGC family and helping us secure a playoff berth.” LAGC vs NYGC and Finau’s TGL debut will be live on Sky Sports Golf at 10pm UK time on Monday night. Finau has been in decent form as of late having finished T5 in the recent Genesis Invitational and T13 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last month. The 35-year-old’s last win came at the Mexico Open in 2023 with the PGA Tour back at Vidanta Vallarta this weekend. Finau will hope his short stint in the TGL will help continue his good run with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players coming up soon. What is TGL? Simply put, TGL is an indoor simulator golf league featuring the game’s top players. It takes place at a super high-tech arena called the SoFi Centre in Florida with a live crowd of around 1,500 people. Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were the ones who came up with it, with the help of a guy called Mike McCarley, as part of their TMWR Sports venture. It’s got a bunch of big-name investors, like Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton, and Fenway Sports Group – who own Liverpool. ESPN and Sky Sports signed up to broadcast it. How do they compete? There’s six teams of four, all franchises based on US cities, and all featuring top PGA Tour players. No LIV Golfers. There is one head-to-head match each week lasting just two hours for a primetime TV slot in the States. There is also a 40-second shot clock and timeouts and referees to enforce the rules. All of the players are mic’d up to ensure maximum entertainment value. McIlroy has described the concept as ‘golf reimagined’Getty How does it work? For shots longer than 50 yards, players hit into this enormous screen, which is 53 foot tall and 64 foot wide. That’s about 24 times the size of your normal golf simulator. They play off real grass, the rough and the fairways are reflected on the surface, and it even moves to reflect the slope. The green complex has 600 motorised sensors underneath it and 360 degree rotation to simulate the exact real life scenario facing the players. The bunkers have the same sand as Augusta National, and they’ve even thought about the direction of the grain around the greens. Format Each team picks three players, they play 15 holes. The first nine holes are ‘Trebles’ – three-on-three matchplay, with each player taking turns to hit the shots. The final six holes are ‘Singles’ – one-on-one matchplay with each player playing 2 holes. If it’s all square after 15, they go to overtime and play closest to the pin. Teams get two points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. There will be Play-Offs in March with semi-finals and a final to determine the league’s overall winner – with a $21million purse to be divided among players. The league is designed to move golf into a new tech-based futureGetty Teams Atlanta Drive GC• Patrick Cantlay• Lucas Glover• Billy Horschel• Justin Thomas Boston Common Golf• Keegan Bra
TGL team Los Angeles Golf Club have confirmed they’ve signed Tony Finau on a unique one-match deal.
Six-time PGA Tour winner Finau has not featured in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new golf league yet but has been drafted in by LAGC as a last-minute replacement.
LAGC has been made up of Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood so far this season.
But ahead of their clash with New York Golf Club on Monday evening, it has been confirmed that Rose and Fleetwood will not be able to tee it up.
Instead – and in an unprecedented move in the new TGL format – the league has confirmed Finau has penned a one-game deal to fill in.
Finau said: “I’ve watched many of the TGL matches these past six weeks and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to be a part of it and compete.
“Team golf is always fun and exciting.
“Collin, Sahith, Justin and Tommy are great guys that I respect and enjoy being around. I appreciate Los Angeles Golf Club calling me up for this match.
“I’m excited to get to SoFi Center. The place looks electric, and I can’t wait to see it all first-hand and practice with the team.
“Monday is going to be a fun night.”
LAGC are currently second in the standings after three games and can clinch a playoff berth by beating New York on Monday.
Neal Hubman, Co-Founder and President of LAGC, added: “We were aware that Justin and Tommy would take this week abroad to spend time with family, which created a unique opportunity for us to have Tony join LAGC for this match.
“Tony is one of the most well-liked players in the game and has dedicated significant time and energy to make golf more accessible and available to youth, which aligns with LAGC’s efforts.
“We look forward to welcoming him to the LAGC family and helping us secure a playoff berth.”
LAGC vs NYGC and Finau’s TGL debut will be live on Sky Sports Golf at 10pm UK time on Monday night.
Finau has been in decent form as of late having finished T5 in the recent Genesis Invitational and T13 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last month.
The 35-year-old’s last win came at the Mexico Open in 2023 with the PGA Tour back at Vidanta Vallarta this weekend.
Finau will hope his short stint in the TGL will help continue his good run with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players coming up soon.
What is TGL?
Simply put, TGL is an indoor simulator golf league featuring the game’s top players.
It takes place at a super high-tech arena called the SoFi Centre in Florida with a live crowd of around 1,500 people.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were the ones who came up with it, with the help of a guy called Mike McCarley, as part of their TMWR Sports venture.
It’s got a bunch of big-name investors, like Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton, and Fenway Sports Group – who own Liverpool. ESPN and Sky Sports signed up to broadcast it.
How do they compete?
There’s six teams of four, all franchises based on US cities, and all featuring top PGA Tour players. No LIV Golfers.
There is one head-to-head match each week lasting just two hours for a primetime TV slot in the States.
There is also a 40-second shot clock and timeouts and referees to enforce the rules. All of the players are mic’d up to ensure maximum entertainment value.
How does it work?
For shots longer than 50 yards, players hit into this enormous screen, which is 53 foot tall and 64 foot wide.
That’s about 24 times the size of your normal golf simulator. They play off real grass, the rough and the fairways are reflected on the surface, and it even moves to reflect the slope.
The green complex has 600 motorised sensors underneath it and 360 degree rotation to simulate the exact real life scenario facing the players.
The bunkers have the same sand as Augusta National, and they’ve even thought about the direction of the grain around the greens.
Format
Each team picks three players, they play 15 holes. The first nine holes are ‘Trebles’ – three-on-three matchplay, with each player taking turns to hit the shots.
The final six holes are ‘Singles’ – one-on-one matchplay with each player playing 2 holes.
If it’s all square after 15, they go to overtime and play closest to the pin.
Teams get two points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss.
There will be Play-Offs in March with semi-finals and a final to determine the league’s overall winner – with a $21million purse to be divided among players.
Teams
Atlanta Drive GC
• Patrick Cantlay
• Lucas Glover
• Billy Horschel
• Justin Thomas
Boston Common Golf
• Keegan Bradley
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Rory McIlroy
• Adam Scott
The Bay Golf Club
• Ludvig Aberg
• Wyndham Clark
• Shane Lowry
• Min Woo Lee
Jupiter Links Golf Club
• Max Homa
• Tom Kim
• Kevin Kisner
• Tiger Woods
Los Angeles Golf Club
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Collin Morikawa
• Justin Rose
• Sahith Theegala
New York Golf Club
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Rickie Fowler
• Xander Schauffele
• Cameron Young
