Scott Van Pelt Headlines ESPN Broadcast Team for TGL's Inaugural Season

Van Pelt, a cherished late-night "SportsCenter" host and sneaky-good golf analyst, will host TGL's pre-match and intermission segments from his "SportsCenter" studio in Washington, D.C. Van Pelt is set to kickstart ESPN's broadcast, set the scene, and conduct player interviews during and after the match. The current host of Monday Night Countdown, the pregame show for ESPN's Monday Night Football, and his weekly SVPod Podcast also boasts 30+ years of experience covering professional golf. Van Pelt is the primary host of ESPN's golf coverage, which includes the Masters and PGA Championship, two of the sport's four major championships.

Barrie and Smith will take over ESPN's coverage once the match begins, as they'll be on-site at the Sofi Center to cover the action live. 

Barrie serves as TGL's play-by-play announcer and will have direct communication with the teams throughout the match, giving viewers tuning in around the world a never-before-seen insight into players' mindsets and shot-by-shot strategy. Barrie has been part of ESPN's golf coverage for over 10 years, calling live featured group and featured hole coverage, in addition to hosting "SportsCenter" from the Masters and PGA Championship.

Smith, a well-renowned ESPN personality, will be an on-course (field?) reporter with tons of access to players, team benches, ownership, and attending celebrities/golf fans. Smith will provide more insight and analysis into the team's decision-making and hole management throughout the match. A man of many talents for ESPN, Smith has covered college football, basketball, golf, motorsports, and more during his time with the network. Similar to Barrie, Smith has been part of ESPN's Masters and PGA Championship coverage for nearly a decade, providing cant-miss interviews and out-of-the-ordinary tidbits with the brightest stars of the sport.

“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 of Sports Production. “They will make a strong team and we’re looking forward to the debut on January 7th.”

Additionally, TGL named NESN's Jahmai Webster and Golf.com's Claire Rogers as digital hosts of the second-screen efforts on ESPN+, intended to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the new-found league. Popular golf content creator Roger Steele has also been named an in-venue emcee.

TGL features six franchises and 24 PGA Tour players competing in a season-long competition that brings professional golf to prime-time television on Mondays and Tuesdays. Fans can tune in and watch every shot during the inaugural season, with coverage streaming on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ throughout the season. Plus, ABC will air the 'TGL presented by SoFi Season Preview Special on Sunday, Jan. 5, offering one final preview before the action begins 48 hours later in Palm Beach Gardens.

Justin Thomas (Atlanta Drive), Patrick Cantlay (Atlanta Drive), Rory McIlroy (Boston Common Golf), Hideki Matsuyama (Boston Common Golf), Tiger Woods (Jupiter Links), Max Homa (Jupiter Links), Collin Morikawa (Los Angeles), Sahith Theegala (Los Angeles), Rickie Fowler (New York), Xander Schauffele (New York), Ludvig Aberg (The Bay), and Wyndham Clark (The Bay) are among the PGA Tour players involved in TGL's first season.