The shock announcement, which was made on Monday afternoon comes just days after the Florida venue which was specifically built to house the events, the So-Fi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, suffered a structural failure when its inflatable roof collapsed following a power outage.
The 15-match series was due to launch on January 9, with over 2,000 fans set to watch the events in the arena, which will be televised live on a series of Monday nights in the US.
Tiger Woods, who was due to play in the series, and was one of the key drives to the whole project, 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.”
TMRW Sports co-founder Rory McIlroy added: “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.”
In addition to Woods and McIlroy, 22 other leading players had committed to the TGL – which was to air on TV on Monday nights in front of a live audience of 16,000 fans – including Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Max Homa and Shane Lowry.
The six teams – which have a host of celebrity investors including Justin Timberlake, LeBron James and Lewis Hamilton – have all been purchased, with Serena and Venus Williams, Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC), Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons owner) and Stephen Curry all involved as owners.
