Tiger Woods is due to make his first competitive appearance since he missed the cut at The Open in July and, ahead of that return to action, he has been testing out the giant simulator for his and Rory McIlroy’s new tech-infused contest, the TGL.
In the short footage published on the Instagram account of the network that will be broadcasting the action, ESPN, the 15-time Major winner’s swing is as smooth as ever as he hits his tee shot into the gigantic simulator.
That will be a sight for sore eyes for fans of the living legend after he underwent the sixth back surgery of his career in September, which ruled him out of last week’s Hero World Challenge.
The footage also gives us more insight into what to expect when the made-for-TV competition begins in January.
Until now, much of what it will entail has been left to the imagination. We knew it would take place at the SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College in Florida, where the teams would use a giant 64 feet by 46 feet simulator - around 20 times bigger than most normal simulators. It was also confirmed there would also be a short-game complex featuring three virtual greens and 3,800 square feet of real-life putting space.
If that whetted the appetite, anticipation for the competition was ramped up even more in November when one of the 24 players signed up, Billy Horschel, got an early look at the set-up, describing it as ‘unreal.’
The footage of Woods taking his swing suggests that Horschel’s immediate verdict was not an exaggeration, with the enormous simulator taking center stage.
The start of the action is even more anticipated given that it is coming a year after the TGL was originally due to launch. However, damage to the arena’s air-supported roof due to a power failure in November 2023 forced its delay.
The first TGL matchup takes place on 7th January when New York Golf Club, which includes World No.2 Xander Schauffele, takes on The Bay Golf Club, which counts Ludvig Aberg among its four-player line-up.
Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club makes its TGL debut a week later against Colin Morikawa’s Los Angeles Golf Club.
