As TGL enters the back nine of its inaugural season, the simulator-infused league is building momentum for a solid first-year score.
To continue the golf parlance, TGL closed the front nine with an eagle after three pulsating matches on Presidents Day that all came down to the last stroke, thanks to a major change with the “hammer” rule.
Now, can they finish it off? Billy Horschel of the Atlanta Drive Golf Club has no doubt they can.
“I think for a new startup, we’ve been very successful,” said Horschel, who did the Dirty Bird dance before his first match, a nod to Drive/Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. “The viewership has been unbelievable. And the further we go on, the more that we can have fans from the cities sort of attached, sports fans understanding what this is about and the excitement.”
By all the important metrics, TGL has succeeded in introducing a combination of video golf (drives and approaches) and traditional golf (real-life chipping and putting) while adding a side of trash talk among the players. One of TGL’s goals was for fans to see the players’ personalities come out as opposed to their stoic demeanor on the PGA Tour.
Case in point: When Tiger Woods thought he had 99 yards to the hole Tuesday night, but instead had 199. The reaction from his teammates when his wedge came up 99 yards short was priceless. The GOAT had goofed.
“That was one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever done,” a smiling Woods said later.
Anything that personalizes Woods is great for fans to see.
But the TGL isn’t just about Woods and 23 other professionals. This is truly a team effort that has led to its early success.
Fans had already seen a different side of Woods when he made his emotional return to golf Tuesday after the recent death of his mother, Kultida. The last time she saw him play golf was at a TGL event two weeks before.
“I had a really hard time getting here and then reliving all the moments I had with my mom,” an emotional Woods said later.
But the TGL isn’t just about Woods and 23 other professionals. This is truly a team effort that has led to its early success.
Here’s a look at TGL’s first-half most salient metrics:
TV: TGL put itself in a great position by landing a network deal with ESPN, which has translated into better-than-expected ratings. Through its first five matches, TGL is averaging 810,000 viewers, with 42 percent of them in the coveted 18-49 demographic. For comparison, LIV Golf averaged 182,000 viewers last year on the CW Network.
While one-third of TGL’s matches will appear on ESPN2, the worldwide leader has given the league exposure by hosting SportsCenter at SoFi Center, the league’s dedicated arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., early in the season.
Star power: Having Woods and Rory McIlroy as part-owners ensured the two biggest names in golf would bring plenty of eyes to the product. Throw in emerging stars such as Ludvig Åberg and Tom Kim, and it’s turning into we-need-to-watch-this TV. The league has eight of the top 10 players in the current world ranking.
And we’re just talking about the stars who are playing. It was cool watching New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso leading the New York Golf Club onto the field Tuesday night (the team is owned by Mets owner Steve Cohen). Also in the crowd were country singer Jason Aldean, baseball Hall of Famer C.C. Sabathia and former NFL star Arian Foster … just a normal night of celebrities at TGL.
Atmosphere: The first nine matches at the 1,500-seat SoFi Center have all been sold out, and that’s expected to continue until the playoff finals on March 24-25. Tickets aren’t cheap (about $200 on the low end), but how many times can you watch a golfer hit every shot without moving from your seat in an air-conditioned building?
Ability to adapt: The best move TGL officials did was revise the hammer rule – which allows a team to throw a flag to make the hole worth two points; if the other team declines, they concede the hole. The hammer would change possession when it was thrown.
But after the hammer was thrown only 15 times in the first five matches, enabling teams to build leads and coast to lopsided victories, TGL’s competition committee made a change. Now every team gets three hammers, which opens the door for comebacks such as Atlanta’s rally from a late 5-2 deficit to a 6-5 overtime win over Los Angeles Golf Club. The hammer has been thrown the maximum 24 times in the four matches since the change.
“There’s not too many levers to pull, and I think the new hammer rule is a good one,” said Patrick Cantlay of Atlanta Drive.
“One of the highlights is hearing the banter back and forth from the players on TV, and we want to give the opportunity so fans can hear it in the arena.” – Andrew George, TGL senior vice president
The biggest complaint with TGL’s first season is the inability for the fans in the arena to hear the players interact because of the blaring music and an announcer to keep the atmosphere lively. It’s a shame the fans who are paying big bucks to be at the arena don’t get the same experience as viewers at home.
TGL officials are working on correcting this.
“One of the highlights is hearing the banter back and forth from the players on TV, and we want to give the opportunity so fans can hear it in the arena,” said Andrew George, TGL’s senior vice president of live event experience.
“We’re testing with in-ear experience, but you have to match up the audio with the visual experience. This isn’t traditional golf where you wait until the birdie to go in before you cheer. We want them to be loud all the time.”
No doubt there will be other changes as TGL evolves. As George said, “The creativities are endless.”
Horschel had another suggestion: “Maybe we have a celebrity be on the team to hit some shots, and you have to use three of their shots over the 15-hole match, and it has to be outside 50 yards.”
That’s in the future. But the present is looking mighty good for TGL.