The 2027 TMRW Golf League (TGL) season is less than two months away. The indoor simulator league will return for its third season, bringing together some of golf’s biggest names.
Seven star-studded teams will compete in the upcoming campaign. Furthermore, each team will now feature five players, compared with four in the previous two seasons.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy co-founded the indoor league. The new season will begin on December 27 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Here, Sports News Blitz‘s golf writer Jay Kennedy takes a closer look at the TGL format, teams and opening matches ahead of the 2027 season.
The league format
TGL team matches feature 15 holes instead of the traditional 18. The format combines alternate-shot golf with individual head-to-head contests.
During the first nine holes, three players from each team compete in an alternate-shot format. After that, the final six holes feature individual contests. Each player takes on an opponent over two holes.
Like traditional match play, teams compete for points on every hole. The team with the lowest score wins the hole and earns a point.
Each team plays five matches during the regular season. A win earns two points, while an overtime defeat earns one point. A regulation loss brings no points.
At the end of the regular season, the top four teams advance to the semi-finals. These matches follow a single-elimination format.
Finally, the two finalists compete in a best-of-three series. The first team to win two matches claims the TGL title.
TGL match rules
TGL matches feature several important rules that players must follow. These rules help keep the action fast and competitive.
First, every player must follow a 40-second shot clock. The clock starts once the ball reaches the ground, giving players limited time to play their shots.
Each team also receives four timeouts per match. They can use two during the triples session and two during the singles session.
Another key feature is ‘The Hammer’. Each team starts every match with three Hammers. Teams can throw one on any hole to increase its points value.
However, the opposing team can refuse the Hammer. If they do, they forfeit the hole.
If both teams finish a match level, they enter an overtime chipping shootout. Players take alternate shots towards the hole, and the team with the two closest shots wins.
Additionally, an on-course referee oversees every match and makes sure players follow the rules.
The teams
Seven teams will compete in the 2027 season, with each squad featuring five players. The expanded rosters bring together some of golf’s biggest names and promising talents.
The 2025 champions, Atlanta Drive GC, feature Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas, Chris Gotterup, Patrick Cantlay and Michael Brennan.
Brennan takes Lucas Glover’s place ahead of the new season. As a result, Atlanta will have a new look as they aim to compete for another title.
Meanwhile, TGL co-founder Rory McIlroy will lead Boston Common once again. His teammates for the 2027 campaign are Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, newly traded Shane Lowry and Michael Thorbjornsen.
Thorbjornsen replaces Australian golfer Adam Scott in the Boston Common squad.
Fellow TGL co-founder Tiger Woods will also return to the league as captain of Jupiter Links. The 2026 runners-up will feature Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Keith Mitchell and Akshay Bhatia.
Mitchell and Bhatia are the newcomers in the Jupiter Links lineup. Therefore, the team will have fresh options as it looks to go one step further this season.
Defending their title
Los Angeles Golf Club will be hoping to defend their title this season.
Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, and newcomer Ben James make up the 2027 LAGC roster.
Motor City Golf Club enters the fray this year, with a stacked group ahead of their debut campaign.
The roster for this new team consists of Brooks Koepka, Jackson Koivun, Si Woo Kim, Bud Cauley, and Jake Knapp.
2026 runners-up New York Golf Club will hope to go one better this season.
Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick return from last year.
Alex Fitzpatrick, Matt’s younger brother, and Ben Griffin have joined the team ahead of the new season, after Xander Schauffele departed the team.
The final team is The Bay Golf Club.
This team is made up of Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, and newcomers Ryan Fox and Blades Brown.
Opening bouts
The 2027 TGL season commences on December 27.
The campaign kicks off with Boston Common taking on Motor City.
Jupiter Links will do battle with Los Angeles on the same day.
The Bay will begin the season with a clash against New York, on January 3.
Atlanta will open their campaign against The Bay, three days later.
Final thoughts
It is set to be the biggest and most exciting season of TGL yet.
There are more teams, more players, and more reasons to keep your eyes peeled.
It is set to be yet another spectacular simulator showdown over the course of the season.
