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I attended a TGL match between Tiger and Rory and watched snippets of others on TV during the inaugural season last winter.
Does that make me a fan or a curious observer? Somewhere in between, I think. I believe this is where a lot of golf fans sit ... on the fence waiting for something truly groundbreaking to happen - whether that's good or bad - to determine if TGL has staying power in a crowded sports and entertainment landscape. Both GolfPass Senior Staff Writer Tim Gavrich and I got inside the SoFi Center in South Florida last January. I'm a big fan of the TGL spectator experience, so if you can get tickets, do it. Since most of us can't afford it or can't get there, ultimately, it will be the TV audience that determines the league's future. Here's our early impressions:
Now that TGL has released its 2026 season schedule, it's time to gauge when you should be watching. Most of TGL's 2026 season will be televised by ESPN with six matches also on ESPN2.
The TGL format is easy to understand after a first watch. The teams play 15 holes spread across two sessions by hitting shots into the SoFi Center's ginormous simulator screen or chipping and putting on the rotating, ever-changing green complex. Each hole is worth one point or zero if tied. Holes 1 through 9 are alternate shot where all three players participate. Holes 10 through 15 will be singles matches head to head. Should a match remain tied, an overtime period will consist of a closest-to-the-pin competition.
Using the "hammer" is where the real strategy comes into play. When the hammer flag is thrown by a team, the opponent can either accept the hammer, making that hole worth two points, or reject it to concede the point. Each team gets three hammer opportunities throughout a single match.
Five TGL dates to put on your calendar to watch the best matchups
Here are five matchups from the TGL's 2026 schedule that caught our attention:
* December 28th
The season launches 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 28, with a rematch of the 2025 finals as the Atlanta Drive, led by Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover, battle the New York Golf Club, home to three Ryder Cuppers in Cameron Young, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick, plus Rickie Fowler. It will be the only match televised by ABC.
* January 26
Fresh off two heroic performances at the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, two of my favorite golfers, find one another across enemy lines. Boston Common Golf, which consists of McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott, tees off against The Bay Golf Club's Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Min Woo Lee and Wyndham Clark at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, on ESPN2. With no more Monday Night Football during the NFL playoffs, what else will you watch?
* February 9
Since I live in northern California, I could see myself becoming a fan of The Bay Golf Club's unique cast of characters. It's the only team made up of four different nationalities. Could the TGL's most international team develop a SoCal rivalry akin to the heated Dodgers-Giants or 49ers-Rams clashes? I doubt it, but it could still be worth tuning in. The Bay Club takes on the Los Angeles Golf Club's Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, on ESPN2.
* March 1
With Woods and McIlroy being the faces of the league, it's always worth watching when the two compete. The Jupiter Links Golf Club team of Woods, Tom Kim, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner (definitely the weakest on paper) will meet Boston Common Golf at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 1, on ESPN. Earlier that day, the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic will conclude on the nearby PGA National's Champion Course, allowing some lucky golf fans to attend both events.
* March 24
The full season extends nearly three full months until Tuesday, March 24, for the finals. That's after The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass but several weeks before the true meat of the golf season kicks off at Augusta National for The Masters April 9-12.
Are you a fan of watching TGL? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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