If success can be measured by the amount of joy someone derives from a given enterprise, then Shane Lowry would have to say that the premiere edition of TGL went exceedingly well.
After his Bay Golf Club team had completed a practice rehearsal match on January 6 at SoFi Center against the New York Golf Club, Lowry gushed that it was “the most fun two hours I’ve ever had on the golf course”. And it was no different 24 hours later when the lights were on, the 1,500 seats filled and the broadcast live. It certainly didn’t hurt that he and teammates Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Aberg were dominant in a 9-2 victory, but the overall feeling among the participants, at least on opening night, was one of satisfaction that the proceedings were met with approval.
“I’m about to set off into my 17th year as a pro or 17th season, and I think some weeks can be, like, monotonous and tough, but this is just something different and something fun,” the former Open champion said. “I love the big weeks, and I love playing in front of big crowds, and I really struggle to get up for certain events when the crowd is not so big and the energy is not there. But the energy is going to be here every night we play, and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Indeed, there was plenty of energy. That’s what you would expect when something is new and different, and TGL is different – from the gigantic screen and the high-tech simulator to the ever-changing green site to the engagement of the fans. Loud music was a constant during the competition and fans cheered, booed and counted down as the 40-second shot clock neared zero.
There was much to cheer about, or at least find worthy of giving a thumbs up during the first of 15 regular-season matches, which continue throughout this month and into March.
Here are four other takeaways from the first night of the new league:
Guys are already in love… with the shot clock
With a 40-second shot clock, play moved as briskly as one might expect, but none of the six players felt rushed or seemed to have an issue with it. When asked if there was one aspect of TGL that could be applied to traditional tournament golf, Rickie Fowler quickly replied, “Shot clock, no question.” Teammates Schauffele and Fitzpatrick nodded in agreement.
Of course, there already is a shot clock in traditional golf – or at least a time limit designated under Rule 5.6 of the Rules of Golf. Enforcement of the rule is the real issue; in TGL with an actual clock making everybody aware of the matter as well as a referee on hand to dole out penalties without compunction, that enforcement is real.
“I didn’t feel rushed at all,” Fowler said. “I felt like I had time to choose my shot. I just wish that was real golf, as well.”
He isn’t alone.
The technology scored an ace
Players had no complaints with the simulator portion of the competition. All the technology applied from the Full Swing radar devices and Toptracer optical cameras appears to be money well spent. “Everything into the screen I think is very accurate,” Xander Schauffele said.
More sledging and banter, please
There was plenty of chatter throughout the two-hour program, and the cheering, exhorting and sledging among the six competitors felt organic and not forced while adding a layer of entertainment. That’s probably due to their proximity to one another in the confines of the arena and the players buying into their roles as more than just golfers hitting shots.
There could have been more, but as Schauffele pointed out, you need to play decent golf for the licence to get mouthy. “I like talking smack, but pretty hard to talk smack when you’re losing by 10 points,” he said.
It was better on TV
Not sure how they will fix this, but just like most regular tournaments, the TGL match was a better experience from your living room than from the 1,500-seat arena. Going forward, there must be a way for the ticket holder to hear all the chatter while not toning down the vibe from the music that plays constantly. Later, Fowler made a point of saying, “The biggest driver is how it does on TV and how people view it, and if it does well there, I mean, it’s kind of the sky’s the limit with what you could do.”
Images: Mike ehrmann/TGL/getty images
