TGL Tees Off Tonight: Do Sports Bettors Care?

Posted on: January 7, 2025, 05:26h.

Last updated on: January 7, 2025, 05:37h.

Mark Keast Read More

Expertise: Canadian Gaming, iGaming, Las Vegas, Sports Betting, NFL, Boxing, UFC.

Media rights holders are pumping their share of oxygen into the TGL, the tech-infused indoor golf simulator league that’s set to tee off tonight (9 p.m., ESPN) at the SoFi Center in south Florida.

The TGL, a tech-infused indoor golf simulator league, tees off tonight at the SoFi Center in south Florida. Image/TGL

Tiger Woods Competes

Yes, some big names are involved – the TGL was founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood, and Collin Morikawa are some of the other names. It will be the first time in awhile Woods has swung a club in a competition.

Tonight the New York Golf Club (Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, with Cameron Young sitting) takes on The Bay Golf Club (Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Shane Lowry, with Min Woo Lee sitting).

But will sports bettors care?

Golf gimmicks have been rising in popularity since LIV Golf launched in 2022, with many of the big names in pro golf leaving the PGA tour to go there.

Those remaining on the PGA Tour are doing something to counter this push. TGL features six teams playing five matches in a round-robin league format. The top four teams earn a spot to the playoffs. The post-season starts March 17 and 18 with single-match elimination semifinals, then a best-of-three championship series March 24 and 25.

Ohtani, Allen, Hamilton Investors

The SoFi Center has a capacity for 1,500 fans, seated around the playing area, so we’ll see how many people show up live. Besides Woods and McIlroy, Lewis Hamilton, Shohei Ohtani and Josh Allen invested in TGL. Team owners include the New York Mets’ Steve Cohen (New York Golf Club), Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams and Venus Williams (Los Angeles Golf Club) and Atlanta Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank (Atlanta Drive GC).

Players will be hitting into a simulator screen five stories high. Three golf design companies, including Nicklaus Design, created 30 original holes for the league – canyons, coastal holes, links, tropical settings. The fairway and rough are made of real grass. The bunker sand is the same used at Augusta National for the Masters.

Within 35 yards of the pin the players enter the Green Zone – a chipping and putting area with a green that shifts in contours depending on the virtual hole that’s being played. There are no caddies, and players on a clock during the round. Players will be mic’d up throughout the round as well. Matches come in at two hours.

Will Live Betting Spur Interest?

With the match format, teams play 15 holes over two sessions – Triples will be 9 holes and head-to-head Singles will be 6 holes. Each hole is worth 1 point and the team with the fewest shots wins the point. Ties are worth 0 points and there are no carryovers. The team with the most points after 15 holes wins the match. If tied, there’s overtime – a 3-versus-3 closest to the pin competition.

The objective is to bring younger people to golf. Most sports books are offering markets on the event.

Sportsbooks Think Woods Will Move the Needle

“We have seen little action so far on the opening TGL match,” said Glen Hyslop, a trader with BetVictor. “We can’t split them in the betting and are currently -110 both sides. We have a selection of other markets available like: Win 1st Hole, Team to Make 1st Bridie, Lead After 3 Holes, Team to Win the Triples.

I don’t think simulator golf has grappled the golfing world. I’ve been playing all my life. I always prefer playing on a course or practicing on a range rather than going to a simulator, so it will be interesting to see if betting numbers increase as the season progresses. But for the opening match there’s been very little action to report so far.”

The fact that Woods is involved (he’s on Jupiter Links Golf Club with Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner) should move the needle, one would think.

Kick Off Tonight

“Unlike anyone else in sports, when he’s involved you’d be expected to increase handle by 4-5 times, easily,” said Phillip Gray, an igaming consultant and former Head of Trading Operations. “Quite something that he still has that impact. Pre-match offerings look slim and basic, match winner, to lead after 3-6-9 holes and a season outright.

I would certainly expect in-play markets to be offered. Again, this would be a little tricky to price given the format. The key to gaining handle would be the durations events are offered and what the bet delay would be; clients able to place bets at prices without many changes. There will be a bit of a curve I imagine for providers offering in-play, but if there’s considerable interest, they will use resources to make it attractive.

“It’s Tiger. If he’s there, they’ll bet it. Starting on the Monday with no Monday Night Football was a wise move. I like the start time as well. Certainly, there’s a way better chance without getting lost on a weekend afternoon, the traditional time for golf. I’ll be watching. It looks like it could be pretty different, and the graphics look amazing.”