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Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods venture labelled 'embarrassing' after chaotic scenes

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' TGL golf league attracted unexpected attention after All Elite Wrestling held a 'Fairway To Hell' event at the SoFi Center

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Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC and Rory McIlroy

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy launched the TGL (Image: Megan Briggs/TGL, TGL Golf via Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' TMRW Golf League (TGL) played host to a rather different type of occasion at the weekend. Instead of golf's biggest names driving, chipping and putting, wrestlers were slamming their rivals into the bunker at the SoFi Center.

All Elite Wrestling descended on the TGL's home venue for a 'Fairway To Hell' crossover event that swept across social media after footage emerged of wrestler Darby Allin hurling his opponent, Pac, into a greenside bunker on two separate occasions.

The SoFi Center, located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is the purpose-built home of TGL — an indoor, technology-driven golf league established by Woods and McIlroy through TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA Tour. The league blends simulator golf with a giant, rotating short-game complex known as the GreenZone.

The 2026 season saw the Los Angeles Golf Club crowned champions, with Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and Sahith Theegala amongst their ranks. The competition features a regular season, which Rory McIlroy's Boston Common Golf topped, before the post-season semi-finals and a grand final.

With the season having wrapped up in March, it appears the SoFi Center was keen to broaden its sporting appeal. A professional wrestling event, however, would have been few people's first guess.

The venture has drawn a mixed reaction from both AEW and golf supporters, though many took the viral moment in good humour.

"This is appalling - no fighting on the green!!" one person joked. "Was the bunker raked?" added another.

"What the kids are doing to courses these days!" added another social media user. "Would love to see this during a major; imagine the new fans it would attract to golf," suggested a further figure.

"I think I might be all in on this," said one fan. "It's an indoor sim league with made-up holes, might as well really go for it," piped up one fan.

Not everyone was quite as convinced, however, and some seized the chance to mock the TGL. "So this is how bad TGL is doing they have to rent it out to wrestlers lol," said a detractor.

"As if indoor video computer golf isn't embarrassing enough," commented another. "The reality is that this is actually more entertaining than TGL," said another post.

The TGL has experienced varied television viewing figures but has proved sufficiently popular to secure a third season with expansion plans for 2027. A women's edition of the league is scheduled to commence with Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson and Jeeno Thitikul amongst the stars already signed up to the WGTL.

Speaking ahead of the TGL's debut, McIlroy stated his goal was to boost golf's appeal to a younger audience. "It [golf] is so rooted in tradition," he said.

"And that's a great thing, but to try to deliver golf to the younger demographic, I think, is really important. I've been big on that.

"I come from a place in the world [Northern Ireland] where golf is really accessible. I've lived here [in America] 10 or 15 years. I'd love to see the accessibility of golf sort of mirror what I come from, and just see more kids play the game."

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