TGL co-founder Mike McCarley confirms new league’s lucrative first-place prize: ‘It’s legit competition’

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[PHOTO: David Cannon]

Many golf fans may view TGL, the forthcoming tech-infused league headlined by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, as some sort of hit-and-giggle event. But there will be some serious cash on the line.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that there will be a total purse of $US21 million on the line, with $US9 million going to the winning team. And Mike McCarley, a co-founder of TGL and TMRW Sports with Tiger and Rory, confirmed those figures on this week’s Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast.

“They’re playing for $21 million, the purse is $9 million to the winning team, so it’s legit competition,” McCarley said on the pod. “And these guys are some of the most competitive guys on the planet.”

With four players on each team, that comes out to $US2.25 million per player on the winning team. That’s a decent chunk of change for a handful of two-hour Monday-night matches played in a gigantic simulator. Remember, these aren’t four-day, 72-hole marathons like PGA Tour events.

Also, keep in mind that most of the players in the league live near the SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a specially designed domed venue scheduled to be completed in early December. And that only three of the four players on each of the six squads are needed per match. Of course, this is also in addition to the normal PGA Tour schedule.

But apparently, that $21 million won’t be the only money on the line once TGL launches on January 9.

“It’s exciting that this group of guys is coming together for a two-hour window and we’re just going to basically hit balls, talk a lot of [trash] and people are going to be gambling on absolutely everything, each and every shot,” Woods told the AP’s Doug Ferguson. “Every shot there’s going to be a wager.”