Rory McIlroy makes golf history with a one-of-a-kind deal involving Shane Lowry
Rory McIlroy has just made a special move to team up again with his good friend Shane Lowry, who has officially joined Boston Common. Many know that Rory and Shane share a close bond—they grew up playing golf together in Ireland, starting from junior levels and then as teammates in the European Ryder Cup team.
Now, their friendship has grown even stronger in TGL (Tomorrow’s Golf League), the exciting indoor golf league started by Tiger Woods and Rory himself. Lowry is making history as the first player to be traded in the league, moving to Rory’s Boston Common team.
TGL is getting ready for its third season. It was created by sports boss Mike McCarley with Woods and McIlroy, who both have their own teams in the league. Big names like Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, and Justin Rose also play in TGL. This year, the league is expanding to seven teams, each with five players, up from six teams of four last season.
Before the new season starts this winter, Lowry was part of the league’s first-ever trade, joining Boston Common from The Bay Golf Club. In return, The Bay got Boston’s fourth pick in the upcoming roster process (kind of like a draft) and the option to swap a future pick with Boston in the next three offseasons. They also received some business perks for making the deal.
Lowry said, “I’m really happy to be joining Boston Common Golf. Having Rory with me and being part of this team makes it extra exciting. I can’t wait to help the team win a championship for Boston.” McIlroy added, “Shane is a great friend, and I love having him with me in team play. We’ve shared some amazing wins, like at the Zurich Classic. I know he’s a top player who cares a lot about winning for the team. I’m excited to have him on Boston Common Golf and see what we achieve together this season.”
Last season, Boston Common finished first in the regular season, winning four out of five matches, but they lost 9–5 to Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links in the semifinals.
As the third season gets closer, TGL will see some big changes. A new team, Motor City Golf Club, is joining as the seventh squad. Brooks Koepka and Jackson Koivu are set to lead this new team. The full team lineups for the 2027 TGL season will be announced on Tuesday.
Simply put, TGL is an indoor golf team event held at Florida’s SoFi Center. It uses a huge simulator screen plus a real green area where players chip and putt. In each match, three players from each team play 15 holes. The first nine are played with alternating shots, and the last six are singles. Points are earned for winning holes, and if there’s a tie, a closest-to-the-pin shootout decides the winner.
Stay tuned for more as TGL continues to grow and bring fresh excitement to golf!