JOHNSTON, R.I., Sept. 30, 2024 -- Commercial property insurer FM announced today it is the principal partner of Boston Common Golf, one of six teams in TGL presented by SoFi, an innovative golf league in partnership with the PGA TOUR that combines advanced technology and live action play. TGL's inaugural season tees off on Jan. 7 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Boston Common Golf's roster includes PGA TOUR stars Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama. The team will compete from January to March 2025 in a state-of-the-art venue built specifically for TGL on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Additional competitors include teams representing Atlanta; Jupiter, Florida; Los Angeles; New York City; and the San Francisco Bay Area.
"FM is proud to partner with Boston Common Golf to help launch this tech-forward and exciting new sports league," said Malcolm Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of FM. "Our clients are constantly innovating and evolving, and we match those efforts to meet their needs. We share TGL's ambition of innovation, and we appreciate its commitment to leveraging science and technology to explore and develop new ways of making golf more accessible to a global audience."
For nearly 200 years, FM has harnessed the power of engineering, science and research to partner with its clients to protect their purpose and prevent losses before they happen. Roberts added that the global reach of TGL and professional golf provides a strong platform to raise awareness of FM's unique approach to insurance through protection and prevention. "The inventive, forward-looking and global nature of TGL aligns with FM's approach to working with clients around the world," he said.
TGL competition merges virtual reality with live action team golf. Players drive balls from a grass platform into a massive screen where the ball is tracked in the virtual world on custom designed golf holes. Once near a hole, however, players pitch and putt on a physical green that rotates and morphs between holes. For the audience, TGL will provide a unique experience, allowing spectators to sit greenside in an intimate arena environment and see every shot of a match. Matches will be streamed in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ and are designed to provide an engaging viewing experience for both traditional and esports audiences.
"We are honored to have FM as Boston Common Golf's principal partner as we prepare for our inaugural season in January," said Mark Lev, president and chief executive officer of Boston Common Golf. "This powerful partnership is not just a vote of confidence in the extraordinary talent on our team, but also in the ambitious vision for this new league. FM's commitment is instrumental in helping us drive the success of this team's future, and we couldn't ask for a more aligned and supportive partner. Together, we look forward to bringing this vision to life and introducing a new and exciting version of the game of golf for fans everywhere."
"I'm thrilled to have FM's support for the journey ahead with Boston Common Golf and thank them for believing in our team and this new league," said Rory McIlroy. "Their partnership is instrumental to our future success, and it's because of foundational partners like FM that we will be able to grow this new venture in a way that has a lasting impact on the game of golf."
"FM's decision to join as principal partner demonstrates their belief in the long-term potential of Boston Common Golf and the vision we're building," said Sean O'Flaherty, partner at Symphony Ventures. "These types of strategic partnerships are essential to the growth and sustainability of a new team, and FM's support will play a critical role in positioning Boston Common Golf for success from the outset. We're eager to work closely with them as we redefine what's possible in the sport."
The Boston Common Golf partnership adds to FM's first major sports sponsorship, the FM Championship, a new LPGA Tour event that recently concluded after four exciting days of competition at TPC Boston. The FM Championship, the first women's professional golf event in New England in 20 years, returns to TPC Boston from Aug. 28 to Aug. 31, 2025.
About Boston Common Golf
Boston Common Golf, featuring Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott, and Hideki Matsuyama, is part of Fenway Sports Group and one of six inaugural teams in TGL presented by SoFi, a new golf league offering a fresh approach to the sport with a focus on technology, innovation, and fan engagement. Showcasing the world's top players, TGL's team golf competition merges physical and virtual golf with two-hour, prime time matches. Boston Common Golf can be followed online at BostonCommonGolf.com, and on social media platforms using the handle @CommonGolf on Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook. The team also hosts content on YouTube using the handle @BostonCommonGolf.
About TGL presented by SoFi
TGL presented by SoFi features six teams of the world's top PGA TOUR talent competing in a season-long, fast-paced competition that brings golf to prime time. 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 and inclusive "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 almost 100-yards long and 50-yards wide. TGL's inaugural season begins Tuesday, Jan. 7, in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. and other prominent media partners around the globe. 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. TGL's six teams include Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. To learn more about its teams, rosters, competitive format, and technology, visit TGL Explained.
About FM
Established nearly two centuries ago, FM is a leading mutual insurance company whose capital, scientific research capability and engineering expertise are solely dedicated to property risk management and the resilience of its policyholder-owners. These owners, who share the belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, represent many of the world's largest organizations, including one of every four Fortune 500 companies. They work with FM to better understand the hazards that can impact their business continuity to make cost-effective risk management decisions, combining property loss prevention with insurance protection.
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