Fenway Sports Group will own the Boston team in an innovative new golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

“We see this as something to help grow and share what I think is an innovative idea,” said FSG Chairman Tom Werner, who praised golf’s potential for growth in an interview.

“Not just the trajectory of golf as we would traditionally call it on green grass, but golf as it refers to people playing it off the course, either with simulators or through the experience of top golf.” Turnout for it exceeded last year even that of traditional green grass golf, and not only that, there has also been a huge increase in young golfers between the ages of 18 and 34 participating and this is a perfect format for younger viewers.”

Played in front of television cameras and some 2,000 fans at an indoor TV studio in West Palm Beach, Fla., Monday night’s prime time, six teams of three players each — Tiger Woods, Rory McIlrory and Jon Rahm — are among the 18 players — batting Tee and fairway shots on a simulated screen, with the short game being played on greens that can change shape, bunker placement, and topography for each hole.

In addition to the name of the Boston team, it has yet to be announced how the 18 players will be split between all six teams. Team selection takes into account players’ competitive placements as well as their game plans, their marketability to each team’s fanbase, and input from owners.

With the fresh and legally strained merger of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour still in full swing, a decision must be made as to whether LIV golfers can or will join the TGL, an acronym for TMRW Golf League, its parent company, owned by Woods and McIlroy together Founded with CEO Mike McCarley – is TMRW (pronounced “tomorrow”) Sports.

Games are played weekly from mid-January to April. An announcement from the broadcaster is expected this summer.

From left: Ava Parker, President of Palm Beach State College, professional golfer Tiger Woods, Mike McCarley, CEO of TMRW Sports, professional golfer Rory McIlroy and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan at the groundbreaking ceremony for the TGL facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.Wilfred Lee/Associated Press

The TGL project is not only FSG’s first in a new sports league, but also for a team that doesn’t compete in Boston — or, for that matter, Massachusetts or New England.

The challenge before FSG is finding a way to brand and market a team that Boston fans can relate to and get excited about.

“The idea of ​​team sport is that you represent communities, right?” said Werner. “We represent Boston and believe we’ve succeeded in bringing the Fenway Park experience, for example, to the community. I think the benefit of TMRW Golf is that it can facilitate the development of a team sport. We can create this team concept with Boston. That’s something we think we’re pretty strong at.

“When people put on a Red Sox uniform, you connect with them, whether they’re playing at Fenway Park or Dodger Stadium.”

The pandemic and the way the NBA played out the remainder of its 2020 season in a bubble in Orlando are just part of the inspiration behind the TGL’s one-site lineup, McCarley said.

“The reality here is that most of the world’s top golfers live and train together in South Florida and then travel all over the world to compete,” McCarley said. “The idea was to create something that complements their existing game plan so they can continue to play that game plan.”

The league and teams will sell tickets to the 135,000-square-foot venue on Palm Beach State College’s Palm Beach Gardens campus, which is still under construction. The fan areas are located opposite each team’s bench.

“All of these things will be familiar to sports fans in a way that they would find in almost any other sports environment, much like sitting courtside at an NBA game and the lights and music introduce the players,” McCarley said.

In addition to Woods, McIlrory and Rahm, nine other PGA Tour members have agreed to join TGL: Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles TGL franchise was unveiled as the first “Original Six” team. This ownership group is led by Alexis Ohanian, principal owner of NWSL’s Angel City FC and co-founder of Reddit, his wife, tennis champion Serena Williams, and her sister Venus Williams.

The growth phase of FSG is not yet over. Along with FSG partner LeBron James, the group still has a goal of becoming the primary owner of an NBA franchise, with the expansion club expected to end up in Las Vegas at the heart of that vision.

“We’re opportunistic,” Werner said. “But on the other hand, we also like to take care of our knitwear, so we look at each thing as it comes in. We are now focused on helping Mike grow.”

TMRW’s launch announcement last October included a bevy of wealthy and famous investors from the athlete, celebrity and owner sectors.

A partial list includes Celtics’ Jayson Tatum; Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels; Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave and USWNT; Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton; Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.

Also on the list: Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled and Darius Rucker.

Both John Henry, FSG’s principal owner, and Werner invested individually with FSG. Henry owns the Boston Globe.

Other investors include Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons; David Blitzer, owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils; Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren; Reggie Love, former White House personal adviser to President Barack Obama; and Dick Ebersol, former chairman of NBC Sports.

TGL players will compete with the short game on greens that can change their shape, bunker placement, and topography for each hole in the Studio Arena.TMRW sports

Michael Silverman can be reached at [email protected].