Bristol, Conn. and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (December 12, 2024) – Scott Van Pelt (host), Matt Barrie (play-by-play), and Marty Smith (reporter) will form the inaugural broadcast team for TGL presented by SoFi, the new prime time team golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports. TGL premieres Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 9:00 p.m., ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
Van Pelt will host the pre-match and intermission segments of the prime time matches from the SportsCenter studio in Washington, D.C. Barrie will call the action from the broadcast booth within SoFi Center, TGL’s custom-built venue in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and Smith will be a roving reporter with access to the golfers, team ownership, and celebrities in attendance at SoFi Center throughout matches.
“Scott, Matt, and Marty have years of experience working together on ESPN’s annual coverage of the Masters and PGA Championship, as well as on SportsCenter and other programming,” said Mike McQuade, ESPN Executive Vice President, Sports Production. “They will make a strong team and we’re looking forward to the debut on January 7.”
“We appreciate ESPN’s level of commitment to TGL” said Mike McCarley, Founder, TMRW Sports. “SVP, Matt, and Marty bring recognizable star-power from the sports they cover regularly and are familiar to golf fans from ESPN’s coverage of the majors. Plus, their relationships with the top players in the sport will help create a refreshing, fun prime time
experience for fans.” Scott Van Pelt – Host: Van Pelt will host the pre-match and intermission segments of the prime
time matches for TGL presented by SoFi from his SportsCenter studio in Washington, D.C. He will bring the broadcast on the air, set the scene, and conduct interviews with TGL players throughout the match and post-match.
He is the host of the midnight edition of SportsCenter and serves as the main host of ESPN’s golf coverage, including the Masters and PGA Championship, two of professional golf’s major championships, and has covered the sport for more than 30 years. Additionally, Van Pelt hosts Monday Night Countdown, the pregame show for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, as well as hosting the weekly SVPod podcast, and the monthly Bad Beats program based on a popular
segment from his television show.
Matt Barrie – Play-by-Play: Barrie will serve as the play-by-play announcer for TGL presented by SoFi, anchoring coverage from inside SoFi Center’s broadcast booth. Barrie and the entire announce team will have direct communication with the teams and enable them to engage the players on shot-by-shot strategy.
Barrie has been part of ESPN’s major championship golf coverage for more than 10 years, hosting SportsCenter from the Masters and PGA Championship and calling live featured group and featured hole coverage. He joined ESPN in 2013 and co-anchors the 2 p.m., ET, weekday edition of SportsCenter, as well as SportsCenter on the Road from various locations, including college campuses during football season, the College Football Playoff, National Championship
game, and more. Barrie also calls Thursday night college football games on ESPN and hosts the network’s College Football Scoreboard and College Football Final programs.
Marty Smith – Reporter: Smith, one of ESPN’s most popular and recognized personalities, will serve as the reporter on the field within SoFi Center. Smith will have access to team benches and be able to talk with the golfers during the match, getting real-time analysis and insight to how they approach each shot, hole management, and match strategy.
At ESPN, Smith reports on a variety of sports, including college football and basketball, golf, motorsports and others. Smith also co-hosts the popular show Marty and McGee on SEC Network and ESPN Radio, alongside co-host Ryan McGee. The duo hits the road each Saturday during college football season, following SEC Nation to various campuses across the Southeastern Conference. A reporter on ESPN’s coverage of the Masters and PGA Championship since 2017, Smith has conducted live and feature interviews with many stars of the sport.
ESPN Broadcast Notes:
Throughout the season, fans will be able to watch every shot live on ESPN or ESPN2, and via ESPN+, including the first seven matches on ESPN and 16 in prime time. Additionally, ABC will air the TGL presented by SoFi Season Preview Special on Sunday, January 5 offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the league, teams, and technology powering this modern approach to team golf. The TGL presented by SoFi Season Preview Special will be hosted by Barrie with
appearances from Van Pelt and Smith.
What is TGL presented by SoFi?
TGL presented by SoFi features six teams of top PGA TOUR players competing in a season- long, fast-paced competition that brings golf to prime time on Mondays and Tuesdays. To learn more about its teams, rosters, competitive format, and technology, visit TGL Explained.
- Where – TGL’s home is the custom-built SoFi Center, a 250,000-square-foot, tech- infused venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Creating an electrifying “greenside” fan experience, SoFi Center wraps 1,500 fans around TGL’s field of play, which is about the size of a football field at nearly 100-yards long and 50-yards wide.
- When – TGL’s inaugural season begins Tuesday, Jan. 7 and continues with matches on Mondays and/or Tuesdays, culminating with teams competing to win the SoFi Cup in a best-of-three Finals Series on Monday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 25. Full 2025 Season Schedule
- How – TGL fuses golf with technology on an unprecedented scale. Using a mix of technology throughout SoFi Center’s field of play, teams will face off in two-hour matches across 15 custom-designed holes in a hybrid of virtual and real-life action.
- Rickie Fowler Explains TGL presented by SoFi
Screen: Teams hit their shots from boxes featuring real grass or sand to play custom-designed, virtual holes projected onto a 3,400-square-foot screen (64’x53’), nearly 24-times larger than a standard golf simulator screen (16’x9’).
Green: Once teams are inside approximately 50 yards they will transition to live action and finish each hole within a 22,475-square-foot short game complex that transforms between holes. TGL’s green will use advanced technology to modify the shape of the green on every hole, including a 41-yard-wide turntable that rotates the green and three bunkers to change approach angles and nearly 600 motorized actuators embedded under the synthetic putting surface to morph its topography.
Course: Each match, the course will be comprised of 15 of TGL’s custom- designed holes by renowned golf course designers. The holes are inspired by authentic golf landscapes such as links, canyons, coastal, deserts, and tropical settings and created to uniquely challenge TGL’s teams of world-class golfers. As holes are announced, images, flyovers, and descriptions will be available on the TGL Media Hub.
Broadcast Enhancements: TGL’s technology mix allows for every shot to be broadcast live; a shot clock – forcing teams to hit within 40-seconds; unprecedented audio access with all players mic’d; advanced shot data; a production plan featuring robotic and embedded cameras throughout the field of play; and a high-tech, in-venue lighting and video presentation.
- Who – Each TGL team is comprised of four PGA TOUR players and will have three players compete in each match. Fans can take a quiz to find their favorite team here.
- Atlanta Drive GC
Team: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, and Lucas Glover
Owners: Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores) - Boston Common Golf
Team: Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott, and Hideki Matsuyama
Ownership: John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing)
Limited Partner: Niall Horan - Jupiter Links Golf Club
Team: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner
Ownership: Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer (Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders, Crystal Palace FC, Real Salt Lake) - Los Angeles Golf Club
Team: Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood, and Justin Rose
Ownership: Founding investor and owner Alexis Ohanian, Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams
Limited Partners: The Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, Michelle Wie West, Tisha Alyn, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, and Shonda Rhimes - New York Golf Club
Team: Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Young
Ownership: Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets) and Cohen Private Ventures
Limited Partners: Jimmy Fallon, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, John McEnroe, CC Sabathia, Michael Strahan - The Bay Golf Club
Team: Ludvig Åberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, and Shane Lowry
Ownership: a group led by Avenue Sports Fund with Marc Lasry (former Milwaukee Bucks), Stephen Curry
Limited Partners: Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Alex Albon, Leonardo Fioravanti, Kanoa Igarashi, and John Stones
