JOHNSTON – Rhode Island-based commercial property insurer FM says it is the principal partner of Boston Common Golf, one of six teams in TGL presented by SoFi – TGL stands for Tomorrow’s Golf League – a new 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, Fla.
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 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, Fla.; 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 CEO of FM, which for years was known as FM Global before a recent rebranding. “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.”
FM – the company’s exact name in the R.I. secretary of state registry remains Factory Mutual Insurance Co. – can trace its origins back to 1835, when mill owner Zachariah Allen persuaded other owners to create a mutual property insurance company that insured factories that took steps to minimize fire risks.
Now 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.
Roberts said the global reach of TGL and professional golf provides a platform to raise awareness of FM’s 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 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, CEO and president 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.”
