The Women's Team Golf League (WTGL) launches its inaugural season Sunday at So Fi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. New York Golf Club, led by Rose Zhang, opens against Los Angeles Golf Club at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. The five-team league features a round-robin format where the top four advance to playoffs. Each team fields five golfers, but only three compete per match. The virtual course includes holes designed by legends like 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam, featuring a Swedish warship from 1628, and L.A. landmarks. Motor City Golf Club, with Lexi Thompson, faces Los Angeles Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ION.
Thompson, an 11-time LPGA winner, joined WTGL to grow the women's game. She recently stepped away from full-time LPGA play, making only nine starts this year. Thompson and husband Max Provost are expecting their first child, a girl, in February. She views the league as a platform to show pregnancy doesn't stop athletic achievement.
Matches consist of 15 holes split into alternate shot and singles sessions. A shot clock enforces a 40-second limit, with violations incurring one-stroke penalties. Overtime uses a closest-to-the-pin best-of-three competition. Tiebreakers in standings rely on total holes won. The league aims to be fast and entertaining, showcasing player personalities alongside competition.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing