Rory McIlroy makes golf history with first-of-its-kind deal involving Shane Lowry

Rory McIlroy has secured a historic deal to reunite with Shane Lowry who has officially joined Boston Common.

It's well known that McIlroy and Lowry are one of the closest pairs in golf having grown up together going from juniors in Ireland to teammates for the European Ryder Cup team.

And now that friendship has extended to TGL (Tomorrow's Golf League), the indoor golf league founded by Tiger Woods and McIlroy, as Lowry has become the first-ever player to be traded in a move that will see him play for McIlroy's Boston Common.

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Shane Lowry joins Rory McIlroy's Boston Common in historic deal

The TGL is currently preparing to start its third season after being set up by sports executive Mike McCarley alongside Woods and McIlroy, who both have teams in the league.

Woods and McIlory are joined by the likes of Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood Justin Rose as some of the notable names playing in TGL, which is set to expand to seven five-player squads this year, up from six teams of four players.

Ahead of the third season getting underway this winer, Lowry was part of the first swap deal in the league's history, joining McIlory at Boston Common from The Bay Golf Club.

In exchanged, The Bay gain Boston's fourth pick in the upcoming roster formation process (which is similar to a draft), as well as the right to swap one future selection with Boston in the next three offseasons

Alongside this, The Bay also get "commercial considerations" for agreeing to the deal.

"I'm delighted to be joining Boston Common Golf. Having Rory alongside me and being part of this group makes it particularly exciting, and I'm looking forward to helping the team bring a championship to Boston," Lowry said in a statement.

Meanwhile McIlroy added: "Shane is a great friend and someone I love having alongside me in team competition."

"We've had some special wins together, including at the Zurich Classic, and I know the quality of his game and how much he cares about winning for his teammates. I'm delighted to welcome him to Boston Common Golf and excited about what we can achieve together this season."

Last season, Boston Common finished top of the regular-season table, winning four of their five matches, but lost 9–5 to Woods' Jupiter Links in the semi-final.

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What is TGL and how is it played?

As it approaches its third season, TGL is set to undergo some big changes, with Motor City Golf Club set to join as the seventh team.

Brooks Koepka and Jackson Koivun are set to headline the new team, with the complete rosters for all of the teams competing in the 2027 TGL season set to be unveiled on Tuesday.

Put simply, TGL is an indoor team golf competition which takes place at Florida’s SoFi Center using a combination of a giant simulator screen and a physical green that players chip and putt on.

For each match, three players from each team will 15 holes, with the first play nine holes using alternate shots while the final six are singles.

Points are then awarded for winning holes and a closest-to-the-pin shootout deciding tied matches.

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