---
title: "Woods set to make debut in indoor league he co-founded"
description: "PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods will provide TGL with plenty of star power and a likely ratings boost this week as the 15-times major champion gets set to make his debut in the tech-infused indoor golf league on Tuesday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-13-woods-set-to-make-debut-in-indoor-league-he-co-founded/"
published: "2025-01-13T21:14:49"
updated: "2025-01-13T21:14:51"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 348
---

# Woods set to make debut in indoor league he co-founded

> PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods will provide TGL with plenty of star power and a likely ratings boost this week as the 15-times major champion gets set to make his debut in the tech-infused indoor golf league on Tuesday.

By Reuters · Published 13 January 2025, 23:14 SAST · Updated 13 January 2025, 23:14 SAST

## Key points
- In a bid to revive his competitive spirit and attract a fresh audience, Tiger Woods is trading traditional greens for a high-tech simulator, proving that while golf may not be a game of speed, his comeback certainly is.
- TGL's launch on ESPN attracted 919,000 viewers, with expectations for increased interest as Tiger Woods returns to competition.
- Woods confirmed as a starter for his Jupiter Links team, set to compete against Los Angeles Golf Club's trio in a unique format.
- The indoor matches, featuring 15 holes, provide a platform for Woods to showcase his skills despite recent injury struggles.
- Co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy, TGL aims to modernize golf and draw in new fans, blending tradition with innovation.

## Content

By Frank Pingue

Last week's two-hour ESPN broadcast of [TGL's launch](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3O402Y&linkedFromStory=true), a one-sided match, drew an average of 919,000 viewers, a figure that is sure to rise this week given it will be a rare look at Woods in competition.

While Woods' Jupiter Links Golf Club team were already [slotted into the TGL schedule](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3LV0A1&linkedFromStory=true) for Tuesday's 7 p.m. ET (0000 GMT) match, he was only confirmed last Friday as one of the starting threesome alongside Max Homa and Kevin Kisner.

Jupiter Links will face the Los Angeles Golf Club trio of Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala for nine holes of alternate shot, or triples, followed by a head-to-head round where each competitor plays two full holes over the final six.

Woods' injury-riddled body has limited his starts in recent years but TGL offers some reprieve as the two-hour matches played over 15 holes are held indoors on a playing surface similar in size to an American football field.

The 49-year-old Woods, who has not competed in a PGA Tour event since last July's British Open where he [missed the cut](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3JB193&linkedFromStory=true), will hit Tuesday's opening shot when he steps up to The Plank, a 376-yard, uphill par-four first.

The sight of Woods, the greatest golfer of his generation, taking aim at a five-storey-high simulator screen before moving to a green that rotates may not be of interest to golf purists, it is, however, one of the rare chances to see him in action these days.

Since missing the cut at the British Open, Woods [had back surgery](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3KV0Y2&linkedFromStory=true) in September, opted not to compete in the 20-player tournament he hosted last December and played with his son in a 36-hole scramble event.

Woods and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy co-founded TGL, which was formed in partnership with the PGA Tour, with hopes that the fast-paced twist on an age-old sport will help attract new fans.

"It's not traditional golf, yes, but it is golf," Woods said during the TV broadcast of the TGL launch that he attended.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)