Tiger’s TGL: 5 Things We Love, 5 Things We Hate

Tuesday night marked the 2nd iteration of Tiger and Rory’s TGL Golf League on ESPN. Candidly, we were longstanding skeptics as to whether the league was ever going to launch. Heck, 14 months ago, the quasi-roof on their arena was shredded by high winds and had to be rebuilt, delaying the launch by 12 months, and at least two initial contestants, Rahmbo and the Mad Hatton, fled the PGA TOUR for LIV, thus derailing their participation in the PGA TOUR-sanctioned enterprise.

After watching The Bay Golf Club rip NYGC’s arse on Day 1, and tuning into the LAGC vs. Jupiter Links GC match Tuesday, which showed Tiger’s team get curb stomped thanks to the half-dozen water balls the team collected, and Kevin Kisner playing like a high school JV squad member, we have initial impressions of the league. And, oh do we intend to share.

5 Things We Love

1. The competitors. Even if you are only a casual fan of the PGA TOUR, you will recognize most of the players competing. Tuesday’s match alone featured Tiger himself, Twitter’s Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Full Swing star Sahith Theegala, Rosey, and the aforementioned Kevin “The Kiz” Kisner, who played about as bad as he likely ever has since hitting puberty. He stank up the joint but took it in stride and added his own form of self-deprecating levity to the competition.
2. The smiles. The players look as if they are genuinely enjoying each other and the competition. It’s cool to watch them compete knowing that only funny money is on the line. Sure, they are all making bank, but this is a glorified exhibition that Walter Hagen would have excelled in.
3. The scope, scale, and depth of the tech. The tech is cool and mostly works. A team of geniuses is already ironing out the software bugs as I type this. And that green. We love the rotating green and bunker. Super cool.
4. The potential. We are golf nerds and will tune in every week. So will bars across the world and fans of the players and the PGA TOUR. Will TGL ever become something huuuuuge? Likely not. But it’s a fun watch and will get funner.
5. Tiger Frickin Woods.

5 Things We Hate

1. The production comes across as too over-the-top at times. The emcee. The intros. Scott Van Pelt’s talking avatar. Even the music selections at times seem forced. They need to pair back the production bells and whistles 20%. Let the golf and player frivolity drive the show.
2. The trophy. Do any of the players actually care if they win it at the end of the series? We doubt it. And it has lights. Trophies need to have lights shining on them, not in them.
3. Marty Smith. Stick to Daytona and SEC football. But congrats on being born with the best sportscaster hair of all time.
4. Fake fans & no fans. First, we read the reports that extras were being hired to fill seats in the arena. From how most fans acted in the stands during Day 1 and Day 2, it sure looks like they were able to find some takers for the 3-hour gig. And where are the fans who should be sitting in the greenside grandstands in the sim? Did the creatives run out of budget or time or both?
5. Where is the uphill/downhill/sidehill/windy as hell? If the slope of the green can shift with actuators, then shift the full swing shots too. Make it tougher. Sure, the producers want to see some birdies, but watching the pros dump shots into hazards makes for shits and giggles too. Relatable. And how about turning on a big fan and blasting the guys? Anyone who has played in Palm Springs, the south, Japan, etc. has seen what I’m talking about. Bring them in and turn them on full-throttle.

All in all, TGL is a fun watch. We’re excited to see how the competition will evolve throughout this season and into the future. Just think about it: Tiger, if he stays moderately healthy, can play in his own leage until he is 70, and people will watch. He’s that big a golf star. The goat of goats.