Tiger Woods' comeback: The Founders' Derby and the 2026 TGL calendar

The golf world has realigned its calendar for the winter: The TGL (Tomorrow's Golf League), the indoor league of PGA Tour legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has released its schedule for the 2026 season. The second season starts strategically earlier than expected, at the end of December, and promises to consolidate the innovative format. All eyes are on the eagerly awaited Founders' Derby between the teams of the two founders.

Kick-off in December: the TGL season begins

The TGL takes the next step towards the mainstream. The 15-match regular season kicks off on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and the opening match is also a real highlight: defending champion Atlanta Driver GC will face the final opponent of the first season, New York Golf Club. For the first time, the TGL will be broadcast on US network free-to-air TV on ABC, a clear sign of the league's growing importance. Rory McIlroy's team, Boston Common Golf, will kick off the season on January 2, 2026.

Tiger Woods' long-awaited season debut

Arguably the biggest draw of the second season is Tiger Woods' comeback. His team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, will make its season debut on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, against New York Golf Club. This date is marked in red on the calendar for all golf fans, as it will be Woods' first appearance since his Achilles tendon surgery last March. However, his personal highlight will come towards the end of the regular season:

The highlight: Founders' Derby on March 1

The eagerly awaited duel of the founders, the battle between the two superstars, is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2026. Woods' Jupiter Links GC meets McIlroy's Boston Common Golf. The match will be televised in primetime at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, immediately following the final round of the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic, which takes place just a few miles from the SoFi Center.

The road to the SoFi Cup: format and playoffs

TGL is focusing on stability in its second season. The format remains the fast, two-hour match play, consisting of nine holes of triples (alternate shot) and six holes of singles. The exclusive venue is the futuristic SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Particularly noteworthy is the "Florida Swing" from February 23 to March 3, in which almost half of the matches are played with seven games in just nine days.

After the regular season, the top four teams advance to the playoffs:

• Semifinals: a double-header with two knockout matches on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
• Finals Series: The championship will be played in a best-of-three series on March 23 and 24 to determine the winner of the SoFi Cup.

Vision and future of the indoor league

The TGL is more than just a tournament; it is an attempt to reinvent golf. The league serves as a "vehicle to take golf into another stratosphere", as Tiger Woods put it. Rory McIlroy underlined the strategic focus on new fans: "The TGL captures the excitement of team golf in an exciting, fan-friendly environment, comparable to a courtside seat at an NBA game. TGL will broaden the appeal of golf to younger and more diverse fans and serve as another way to introduce people to the game I love."

The second season aims to consolidate. With its top-class players and the "Hammer Rule" (doubling the hole value), the league wants to firmly anchor its action-packed, spectator-oriented concept in the sporting calendar. However, initial expansion plans already point to the next season: Motor City Golf Club from Detroit is set to join the league from 2027.

The complete 2026 TGL fixture list

Here you can find all the dates for the regular season and the playoffs: