Voices
Why going to a TGL match really swayed me on golf's new tech-infused league
Cliff Hawkins/TGL
PALM BEACH GARDENS — “We’re going for the record! We’re going for the record!” TGL's emcee Roger Steele was breathlessly shouting into a microphone, riling up a packed SoFi Center. I obediently did my part, briefly raising my arms in the air each time the choreographed crowd move reached my section before circling again. And again. Yes, I’m talking about doing the wave. And, yes, this was my first time doing one at a golf event.
But that’s the thing about TGL. It doesn’t feel like a golf event—especially when you’re there. And I came to this realization long before Tuesday night’s final between the Atlanta Drive and New York Golf Club even started.
Walking around the SoFi Center’s concourse made it seem like I was in a college basketball arena. Walking out on the playing surface felt like I was about to watch an episode of “American Gladiators.” And looking up at that giant screen certainly didn’t feel like I was about to watch some guys play some simulator golf. It never felt like that for the players, either.
“I remember coming into the arena in November and walking out and I was just in awe,” Billy Horschel said. “I couldn't imagine what I was seeing. I described it like a football player walking into Mercedes-Benz Stadium, right, about to play, or a basketball player walking out, Steph Curry walking out at Oracle Arena, stuff like that. … It’s been really cool and has sort of exceeded all of our expectations.”
I’ll echo Billy’s sentiments. Admittedly, I was a huge skeptic of the tech-infused league until opening night in January—it didn’t help that I’ve never caught the simulator golf bug with my own game. When I tuned in for a few minutes out of curiosity, I admitted got sucked into the entire two-hour broadcast. I tuned back to see Tiger Woods’ debut a week later. And I continued to watch throughout the season as the quality of play and matches got better, culminating with Atlanta’s dramatic win in the Finals—and Horschel’s latest viral moment—to claim the inaugural SoFi Cup. Which was lit up in red in honor of the Atlanta’s team colors, of course.
But if the league hadn’t won me over already, it certainly did on Tuesday night. Watching the divots and grains of sand fly. Hearing the powerful thud of golf balls hitting off the screen. Seeing all the interactions between the players, players and fans, and even players and TGL referee, longtime NBA official Derrick Stafford, after a hammer ruling that required a booth review. Not exactly the game Old Tom Morris envisioned! But accepting that TGL is different from watching regular golf—and that doesn’t take as long when you experience the bright lights, the loud music and the t-shirt tosses into the stands—helps traditional golfers enjoy it more. Heck, even Phil Mickelson is in.
Like the wave I found myself participating on Tuesday night, I could sense the momentum building in this product. At least, personally. Whether that’s happening elsewhere remains to be seen. Ten minutes away at my hotel, the lady at the front desk had never heard of TGL. Neither had any of my Uber drivers. And to use a much larger sample size, the league’s TV ratings stalled down the stretch of the inaugural season after a promising start, including Woods’ debut, which drew more than one million viewers.
It didn’t help that the broadcast windows bounced around a bit. Of course, the league would love to be locked into the same day and time and channel (a few matches aired on ESPN2 instead of ESPN) every week. But it also had to prove it deserved a designated spot. We’ll get a better sense of whether it did when the World Wide Leader in Sports puts out next season’s schedule.
It’s difficult to build a following when you’re starting a new league, no matter how much money you throw at it. Just ask LIV Golf, which in its fourth season still hasn’t approached TGL’s TV ratings. But where TGL has an advantage over LIV is that it’s a completely different product than what golf fans are used to watching. And it’s much more complementary.
I still wouldn’t choose watching a TGL match over the final round of a PGA Tour event like the one we just saw at the Valspar Championship, but I don’t have to. I watched and enjoyed both. One on a Sunday afternoon and one in prime time on Tuesday night. One from the comfort of my couch and one from the surprisingly (leg-) roomy seats of the SoFi Center.
Speaking of which, the venue’s 1,500 seats—consisting of a lower bowl of paying spectators and an upper one of sponsored sections—seems to be the perfect size. There’s a big-time game vibe (Yes, it can get loud in there, especially when a team throws down the hammer), but also an intimate setting to feel like you’re close to the action. The only negative, of course, is there’s only one SoFi Center.
Logistically, that makes sense given how difficult it is to corral top golfers during the season. But it also means that even if TGL’s six teams start building larger fanbases, there still aren't any “home” games to attend (Although, the stadium is a pretty convenient 15-mile drive from Palm Beach International Airport). Still, it was a nice touch for there to be custom team drinks (Not cheap at $18, but what is these days?). Although Atlanta’s bourbon peach smash vs. the Manhattan Spritz should have been a sign of things to come in the finals.
Brennan Asplen/TGL
Can TGL improve? Of course. The tech—while impressive—had some glitches throughout the season. There’s too much time between holes, and I’m not sure why there’s an intermission, the combination of which can cause matches to go over their allotted two-hour TV window. And it would help if Woods was playing better and going viral for things other than making mistakes. (The teams of Woods and Rory McIlroy, the league’s two founders along with TMRW Sports partner Mike McCarley, didn’t make the playoffs.) But there are a lot of positives from Year 1.
The league has plenty of star power. It has plenty of personalities. The short-length season is smart (its partner, the PGA Tour, should take notes). The pace of play thanks in large part to the shot clock (again, take notes, PGA Tour) is great. The hammer is fun. And the fact that TGL changed its hammer rules mid-season was a good sign the league is willing to listen to feedback and make adjustments. There was also refreshingly little talk about prize money throughout the season despite the fact the winning team received $9 million.
“I would think nobody could have at the beginning of the season or even a year or two years ago could have seen something like this,” Thomas said. “But obviously that's why all the people that are involved are a lot smarter than us and they're good at that for a reason, and we're just fortunate that we're the ones that happen to play golf and get to be a part of it.”
Most importantly, there was clear evidence that stars like Thomas bought into this. That they had fun. That they cared. I’m not sure how many people are buying up Atlanta Drive championship merch after Tuesday night, but that unbridled Horschel reaction to what turned out to be the finals-winning putt can’t be bought.
Megan Briggs/TGL
What comes next—whether its more rules changes, more teams (Women? Influencers? LIV?!) or offseason trades—remains to be seen. But after an entertaining 11-week debut, the TGL wave will definitely be coming around again in 2026. And I'll be ready for it.
“I think we got it! These are the best fans we’ve had all year!” Steele continued before sitting down in his court-side turf-side seat and taking his voice down a few decibels. “Now on the tee … “