TGL has postponed its inaugural season to 2025 after an incident caused significant the domed facility that is to house the hybrid golf league.
On Nov. 14, according to the league, "a failure of the temporary power system and backup systems used during construction caused the dome to deflate, which caused damage to the air-supported dome section of the site."
Footage of the dome showed the structure was now more exposed to the air and elements outside. There were no injuries from the incident, and most of the technology inside of the dome was not impacted. However, the incident happened less than two months from the scheduled start of the inaugural TGL season, which was set to begin Jan. 9.
Knowing that time frame would not be large enough to not only repair but finish construction of the facility dubbed SoFi Center, TGL made the decision to delay the league start to 2025.
In a statement, TGL said, in part, "Following discussions with key partners, including players, our six team ownership groups, PGA TOUR leadership and our commercial partners, SoFi, ESPN and Palm Beach State College, the decision has been made to postpone the start of the TGL season until early 2025. This decision came after reviewing short-term solutions, potential construction timelines, player schedules, and the primetime sports television calendar. Despite this new timeline for the venue, we remain excited about the future of TGL and will continue to build excitement between now and the start of the season with our players, fans and teams. We have begun to update plans and timelines and are confident that the extension will only improve our delivery."
League co-founder and team owner Tiger Woods said, “I’ve been a believer in TGL, and as the momentum has built this past year, I’m even more excited about what this can become for fans of the game all around the world. Although the events of last week will force us to make adjustments to our timelines, I’m fully confident that this concept will be brought to life by our great committed players.”
Fellow co-founder Rory McIlroy said, “The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement. Above all, we are happy that no one was injured. We are looking forward to the launch of TGL. Given the circumstances, while the delay is disappointing, the postponement will allow us to regroup, refocus and return stronger.”
It is unclear if the incident will lead to changes in the design of SoFi Center, but the player commitments are expected to remain the same for the inaugural season.
