The inaugural WTGL season will start Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m., and include 10 regular-season matchups leading into four days of playoffs.
The first match features Los Angeles Golf Club and New York Golf Club and will be televised by ESPN. The season will be played at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens and include the same format as TGL, the men's version of the indoor, high-tech league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. TGL will start it's third season following the completion of the WTGL season.
WTGL, created by TMRW Sports in partnership with the LPGA, includes five founding teams — Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf and Detroit's Motor City Golf Club — with five LPGA players each. The rosters include 10 in the top
25 in the women's world rankings, but not world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who lives in Bradenton.
Matches will be televised by ESPN, ESPN2, ABC or ION.
“This schedule marks an important milestone for WTGL as we introduce a new team golf league built around the best players in the women’s game,” said Rufus Hack, president of golf at TMRW Sports. “The inaugural season is filled with compelling matchups, team storylines, and opportunities for fans to see LPGA stars compete in a new setting."
The schedule does not come without its challenges. Seven WTGL matches will go head-to-head with the NFL, including the only double-header of the regular season, Sunday, Nov. 29, and two playoff matches. Five of those are on Sundays and two on Mondays.
Additionally, the playoffs, including two semifinal matches and a best-of-3 finals, will be held during Christmas week, starting Dec. 20 and concluding Dec. 23.
Michelle Wie West, Lydia Ko headline WTGL inaugural match
Opening night will feature Los Angeles' Michelle Wie West's return to competitive golf against New York and LPGA Hall of Fame member Lydia Ko.
Two nights later (Nov. 10), Lexi Thompson, Jeeno Thitikul and Ronni Yin make their WTGL debuts as members of Motor City, facing L.A. Thompson, the Delray Beach resident, is an 11-time LPGA champion. Thitikul is ranked No. 2 in the world and Yin is No. 6.
Boston Common, and former FSU star Lottie Woad, ranked No. 7 in the world, will play its first match Nov. 16 against Motor City.
Atlanta and world No. 8 Charley Hull makes its debut Nov. 24 against Boston.
The first chance to order tickets is by presale on Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. Register at WTGLgolf.com/tickets to receive presale access. Public sale of remaining tickets will begin Sept. 21, at 10 a.m.
Additional ticket opportunities for the inaugural season include membership plans, shared and private hospitality options, youth tickets, pre-match VIP experiences and upgraded parking.
WTGL Regular Season Schedule
Nov. 8: LA vs. NY: 3 p.m. ESPN
Nov. 10: Detroit vs. LA: 8 p.m. ION
Nov. 16: Boston vs. Detroit: 8 p.m. ION
Nov. 24: Atlanta vs. Boston: 8 p.m. ION
Nov. 29: Boston vs. New York: 1 p.m. ABC
Nov. 29: Detroit vs. Atlanta: 3:30 p.m. ABC
Dec. 1: NY vs. Detroit: 8 p.m. ION
Dec. 6: Atlanta vs. LA: 8:30 p.m. ESPN2
Dec. 8: NY vs. Atlanta: 8 p.m. ION
Dec. 15: LA vs. Boston: 8 p.m. ION
WTGL playoff schedule
Dec. 20: Semifinal 1: TBD ESPN 2
Dec. 21: Semifinal 2: 8 p.m. ION
Dec. 22: Finals 1: 8 p.m. ESPN2
Dec. 23: Finals 2: 7 p.m. ESPN2
Dec. 23: Finals 3 (if necessary): 9 p.m. ESPN2
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: WTGL unveils inaugural schedule; Michelle Wie West, Lydia Ko to open season
