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No matter how difficult it imagines, we are now almost two months in some of the best golfers in the world trying to avoid lava on Monday and Tuesday evening.
TGL, the indoor Simulator League with the rotating green, has imprisoned the interest of golfers and casual sport fans, helped by attractive time slots on ESPN and a list of competitors with co-founders Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Has everything been perfect? Really not – did you see when Tiger hit 99 meters last week, to find out that the gap was 199 meters away? That does not happen at TPC Sawgrass. But even the most pessimistic among us must acknowledge that there is something here.
With another week in the regular season, we have the feeling that we have given TGL enough time to come from beta and to make a strong judgment about what works and what not, and who we would like to see added for an (assumed) year 2 in 2026.
What works for you?
Gabby Herzig: I am pleasantly surprised with the anecdotal proof that the product gets new eyeballs on golf – the texts of friends and family members who wonder how this new competition works and what it’s all about, are still common. The ESPN reviews have varied week to week, but they have generally been solid. That tells me that my intuition about a great positive that comes from TGL is correct: the first time spot of Monday/Tuesday evening is a great time slot for this type of product. Seeing Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy, Justin Thomas and other players Mic’d Up, making golf shots between major tournament performances is added value to the professional landscape. It offers an interesting new run -up to most of the traditional golf season. The more exposure fans these athletes have in different phases and in new formats, the more potential there is for extra traction and involvement in the PGA Tour product. As the weeks have passed, I feel that the players have become more enthusiastic about loosening, chat between each other and celebrating like other professional athletes do. I enjoyed the addition of more “mic’d up -moments”, where the broadcast Soundytes compiles from players who may have been missed during playing. The new rules for the hammer have also been a total game changer. The competitions now have much more chance of returning the course if a team pulls forward – that certainly won’t hurt.
Brody Miller: The players don’t care all On a really deep road. But they care about it So Damn in the same way you want to beat your friend more than anything in the world. That works for me. That is the product in my eyes.
At the absolute simplest level: we see big stars that we don’t often see outside of intense environments to mess and compete with each other. The television events such as “The Match” just don’t work, for countless reasons, but this gives casual viewers something to start on a Monday/Tuesday evening and to turn their brains to enjoy. The emphasis on depositing their brains. The second viewers take this seriously, it loses steam.
But on nights where competitions come close – more about that later – TGL thrives. And it’s for that simple reason. It is absurd to see six superstar golfers competing in the same way as you with your friends about a game of Cornhole. Collin Morikawa, often a dry figure in tournament settings, lived and died with every shot in Monday’s comeback and was hyped. Boys such as Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele or Billy Horschel are natural heels and trolls is good, informal entertainment.
Players act composed or respectful when they hit a huge Birdie putt at 17 at a tournament. They lost their minds when the putt of Sahith teagala went on Monday. And the addition of the hammer rule immediately changed more by holding competitions competitive and increasing the number of times that we see players throwing Sassily a flag.
The many faces of screen golf! pic.twitter.com/u8jhgp5kgz
– Baked egg golf (@fried_egg_golf) February 25, 2025
Hugh Kellenberger: It is a hang. It is a sporting event, but it is not a game. We don’t want them to chuckle and not at all about the result, but TGL cannot give us or them about the bay versus Jupiter -Links. That is why all memes about New York have to rebuild – it attaches a level of serious sports discourse to an event that it simply does not require.
And that’s okay! There are so many sports at the moment, every night of the week – the result of sport is the only thing that makes people watch live TV reliably in 2025. Not everything can be super serious, life or death stuff. But Billy Horschel does Billy Horschel -Dingen two hours on a Monday evening? I can find out.
What doesn’t work?
Herzig: We need a wellness check on Fullswing’s simulator technology. TGL has a number of serious problems if they cannot find out how to give the players full confidence that their photos will end up in the right places when they get into the 60-foot-tailor-made screen. TGL and League members were pronounced about the Technology Founder Rory McIlroy came out and admitted that he had been fully tested against Trackman and Foresight Sports, two popular launch monitors, and he got away with satisfaction. But that does not change the fact that players seem to be consistently perplexed by their own ball flight. We are talking about the world’s best here – they know what it feels like to hit the ball 120 meters versus 140 meters. Even Hideki Matsuyama, who is known for hardly cracking a smile, let alone a frowned eyebrow, looked hesitantly on Monday evening about the result of different shots. If I were TGL, I would be looking for changing launch partners for next season. There is a reason why Tour players bring portable launch monitors from Trackman and GcQuad Foresight. Those products are the best in the industry.
Miller: Gabby immediately explained the technological problems, and that is certainly the number 1 problem. This is pushed as a large gambling product and it is not even accurate! Not good! Although looking at players trying to hide their annoyance, one of the five best things about the competition is.
But to go deeper, the Golf is just not very fascinating. It is a simulator competition, so that was always a tough fight. I do not mean that this should be architecturally attractive. My bar is very low here. There is just something so empty about even the best photos. A long shot with a 3 wood in a green takes one bouncing and stops near the pen. And the bad photos usually feel like it can be the technology. The only times I really feel stuck are when we move through the green and I feel the bet (and the other players respond). The rapid speed is therefore so positive for me to defend TGL. Don’t stick to the wave. It is just fun, harmless immediate satisfaction.
Not the first time this happened in TGL. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/aflwif9fvR
– TGL (@TGL) February 25, 2025
Kellenberger: I don’t really mind when the simulator has clearly failed, because it introduces a level of arbitrariness that there would be no different with the best players in the world who touch a virtual world of wind. But that is also problematic to bet, so I get the argument for change.
I am going to concentrate on the broadcast, because many of the competitive elements really work as well as they can have for year 1. ESPN does not seem to know what it wants TGL, sometimes worn as the type of broadcast that cannot believe that it has real live pro -athletes in the building and deeply invested in a playoff race. Both approaches fall flat. There must be a way to accentuate the best parts about TGL, while there is no getting in the way. Marty Smith would probably exclude that – he is enough on my TV that someone there clearly likes, but I never understood the attraction. The broadcast stops and loses all the energy every time they throw him at him.
Who do you want to see in year 2?
Herzig: Maybe I ask for too much, but I would like to see TGL full throttle in the youth movement, involving LPGA players and perhaps even allow a LIV team to enter the competition. I would like to see Luke Clanton (who was present on Monday evening), Akshay Bhatia and Nick Dunlap, get places on TGL grilles. And why don’t you add a LPGA player to every team? Imagine that Charley Hull the newest addition to Boston Common or Nelly Korda strategies on a chip shot with Tiger Woods. The most obvious character, who would, however, be perfect for the TGL model, is Bryson Dephambeau – the king of YouTube Golf. I think Bryson would bring a completely new element in the form of Fan interaction. He knows how to talk to a camera and the viewer feels that he is part of the action. We still miss that in the current TGL format, because none of these boys are active YouTubers. It’s just not in their nature.
Miller: I am very pro-adding LPGA players and young names, for the suggestion of Gabby. This is not a real wave. We don’t have to get bogged down due to distance interviews. The pleasure here is in the element of the fish from the water to see these people respond to ways we normally do not do. Korda and Zhang get there to add more wrinkles would be great.
Then we definitely want to see the Texas stars that are not there. Scottie Scheffler is one of the ultimate trash games in money games and pickleball or something else. The current two best players in the world – Scheffler and Xander Schauffele – are actually the two best fits for TGL, so it’s a shame that we have not really seen outside the Night 1 performance of the latter. And can you imagine Jordan Spieth’s neuroticism with these simulators? Can’t miss TV. We just have to find out how his caddy, Michael Greller, can be involved.
Kellenberger: Arthur Blank, the owner of Atlanta Drive, said on Monday evening that they are open to adding more teams and bringing in the top women. So that probably happens. Other names that I had on my list that have not yet been mentioned: Megan Khang, Cameron Smith, Robert Macintyre and Will Zalatoris.
Should Patrick Cantlay be part of TGL? (Cliff Hawkins / Via Getty Images)
Who should we come from the Sofi center?
Herzig: No offense with these guys, but Patrick Cantlay, Lucas Glover, Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick may have to go. Their personalities are simply not suitable for obvious reasons.
Miller: Gabby no! Matsuyama is the somewhat weird, uncomfortable outsider, has led to great entertainment. And maybe I am a nerd, but Cantlay is hypergefixed on Hammer strategy so funny for me.
Then, yes. Remove the people who don’t seem to seem to be leaning here. Young does not want to be clear. Fitzpatrick tries, to be honest, but his kind of humor just doesn’t get through. Adam Scott is the man, but he doesn’t seem very interested. And that’s all ok! It’s nonsense. But I think we have seen that the people who want to be here add the most entertainment. Nobody tunes to Billy Horschel, but he makes the product better.
Kellenberger: “Maybe you should go.” Gabby is so nice for these guys. Cantlay and Matsuyama are probably too high in the world ranking to dismiss completely, but they will never be the stars of this thing. Glover, Young and Fitzpatrick should definitely be replaced. Kevin Kisner would fit Matt Barrie better at the top than play, and Justin Rose is not the future either. Are we sure that Min Woo Lee is good at Golf? Rickie Fowler must also have a contract from year to year.
(Top photo of Billy Horschel: Carmen Mandato / TGL via Getty images)