The launch of TGL was one of the most anticipated sporting events in the world. Fans were excited to watch some of the best golfers indulge in an intense indoor simulation golf battle. Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy’s was to be a big hit or a major failure. Fortunately for the star co-owners, TGL was a major success among the fans as they showed their love towards the amazing concept. The community was happy to see their favorite golfers laughing about and enjoying themselves in the arena at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
But that doesn’t mean that TGL was perfect in any way. The league also faced a lot of criticism from insiders and fans regarding a few negative aspects they observed. Let’s take a look at what one group of experts had to say about the first TGL match.
Was Tiger Woods’s TGL fault-ridden?
There were a lot of aspects of Tiger Woods’s TGL that really clicked with the fans and the insiders. Everyone watching the first game was incredibly impressed by the pace of play. They enjoyed the quick and fun action on the indoor golf course. The simulation screen added a bit of excitement. Fans were unsure of the trajectory of the ball unlike in traditional golf where they can trace it on the course. Watching golfers also enjoying the game made it even more fun for everyone.
However, the crew of Drop Zone – Golf Podcast had a few criticisms about the entire setup. They discussed the same in one of their podcasts a few hours ago. At first, Dylan Dethier shared what he loved about the event. He talked about the amazing pace of play due to the “shot clock” and the organic banter between the golfers. He highlighted how banter can become cringey in some leagues if it’s forced. However, that was not the case during TGL’s launch event.
He explained how due to the amazing pace of the game at TGL, the banter becomes more natural. Even the usage of the hammer gives the pros many opportunities for a bit of “back and forth”. Dethier mentions how Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark stole the show with their fun interactions. However, he did believe that there could have been a little more banter to improve the excitement of the match.
Dylan stated that he was not impressed with the manner in which TGL’s Hammer was implemented. He believed that the way the Hammer was used was a bit underwhelming. The Drop Zone host suggested that the point at which a player uses the Hammer should be a bit more animatic. He stated “We need a real hammer,” suggesting that having an actually hammer on the course will be much more exciting for the viewers.
Overall, it seems that the crew of Drop Zone – Golf Podcast seemed to enjoy the first match of TGL. But that was not the case for other insiders.
TGL’s gets criticized further
Overall, we can assume that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy‘s TGL was a great success. However, many insiders had a lot of complaints regarding the entire setup. Former PGA Tour star Smylie Kaufman was not pleased with the rate at which the Hammer was used. Speaking to his co-host, Charlie Hulme, on The Smylie Show podcast, Kaufman said that unlimited Hammers may get things out of control.
Moreover, TGL spokesperson, Adam Freifeld also confirmed that the first round included paid actors hired as “seat fillers”. This received a lot of backlash from the fans who were upset about the statement TGL had made earlier. Previously, another representative of TGL had rubbished the rumors of the league hiring actors.
