TGL is rapidly approaching, but the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy venture may have already made a big mistake.
The technology-driven competition, which is run by TMRW Sports, will feature six squads of four players each.
TGL will get underway on 7 January, with the entirety of the 15-match season set to take place at the SoFi Center in Florida.
The schedule for the inaugural season has now been released, with Woods set to play TGL on 14 January.
McIlroy meanwhile is scheduled to get going on 27 January, with the opening match being played between New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club.
Ryan Lavner reacts to TGL ‘risk’ after 2025 schedule confirmed
Their delayed debuts have really surprised Ryan Lavner, who shared his immediate reaction to the TGL schedule on Golf Channel.
Discussing the absence of Woods and McIlroy early on, Lavner said: “First thing I noticed when the schedule was released earlier today. It does seem like a bit of an own goal.
“You don’t know how Tiger’s recovery is going from that back surgery, but that could be the first time we see him back in action. There could be a lot of curiosity about that.
“The thinking from TGL’s standpoint is obviously the novelty of what TGL is or could be should be enough to power them through the first week and then you put Tiger Woods in the second week thinking you can sustain that momentum. But it’s certainly a risk.
“If fans are turned off or disinterested in what they see on opening night, and there is obviously plenty of scepticism about the staying power and whether fans are going to be interested in this in the long haul, they are not going to make it to the second week.
“There are 15 regular season matches for TGL, you need to sustain that momentum for at least the first month and not having Tiger or Rory on debut night is certainly a risk.”
TGL star names need to step in Tiger Woods absence
Legendary figure Woods, a 15-time major winner, has not played competitively since The Open Championship in July.
The American will be desperate to be fit for the start of TGL, with Woods having recently undergone back surgery.
That may be the thinking behind his delayed TGL debut, which does still have plenty of star names taking part in round one.
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High-profile players Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick will all feature for New York Golf Club, along with Cameron Young
And they will meet The Bay Golf Club stars of Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Shane Lowry, joined by Min Woo Lee.
It is certain to be a very exciting event, but appealing to fans beyond the opening round could prove to be a tricky task.
Plenty of pressure will, therefore, be on those taking part on 7 January, and indeed on Woods and McIlroy when they do eventually get underway.
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