Did TGL meet your expectations? We believe the matches showcased a new side of golf with entertainment which no one expected. Even though there are two sides to it, one where fans like it, while the other where it has been criticized for the future of golf and the league. Till now, two matches at the TGL have already been aired and most of the viewers have made up their minds about what to expect exactly from the league.
The first match, which averaged 919,000 viewers, saw the opposite reaction from fans after the debut of Tiger Woods and Co. The fans widely criticized the defeat of Woods’s team by a huge margin i.e., 11-1, and the golf play during the match. Now taking on similar lines, critics have shown concern for the league.
In the recent release from the Foreplay Podcast, the video showcased an in-depth conversation on TGL. Most interestingly, the panel discussed the league’s future, considering the two matches played so far. Talking about it, Trent Ryan took the lead, saying, “We need a competitive match badly, just to see what it looks like.” He shared it because the league was expected to be the evolution of golf with future tech, but in reality, it has mostly been entertainment.
Speaking further, he focused on the deviation from golf, “You get a lot of laughing, you get a lot of likes, it’s just not competitive. One of our main critiques is it needs to be more competitive.” He continued to address the two matches, having wide margins of defeat and that slipway for the losing team turned it into an entertainment side.
Talking about the second match, he said, “It got to the end, and it was such a sh*t show and it was 11-1 and the only thing people were grabbing onto was Max being entertaining, Tiger Woods was there and Kisner was hitting some of the most ridiculous shots, good and bad.” Agreeing to the entertaining part, Ryan agreed that the league is entertaining, but according to him, “it certainly can’t live on that level.” Certainly, as per his statements, he shared how the league is missing out on what it intended to do and would definitely affect the league soon. But what can TGL do to sustain itself in the long run?
Talking about the entertaining side of the tech-infused league, he was not sure if that would help in the future as he pointed out Kevin Kisner’s shot that hit the flag and went off the green. According to him, it was great and will blow out now, but it will not help in later stages. He even said, “We haven’t really got a look at what it can be and that is hurting the league.”
Suggesting the improvement, he shared his opinion that, “There’s got to be some level of competition. I don’t think it has to be 90% competition and 10% laughing and making fun of each other, but it can’t be 90% blowout every single time because that’s gonna get old.” Currently, the league has only offered the non-competitive side of the matches where players are enjoying the course. Even Kisner’s shot took off on all social media and left Tiger Woods laughing with tears, but whether will that help in the future is still a concern. The league should try to strike a balance that not only keeps fans entertained but also keeps the competition thrilling.
Continuing, Ryan pointed out that the matches will not have Tiger Woods, Max Homa, and Kevin Kisner every week. That being said, it was a reality check for TGL, which even fans on social media shared through their comments. They were criticizing the league for just focusing on entertainment. With mixed reactions till now. What are your thoughts on TGL? Are you liking the tech infusion in golf? Drop down a comment with your thoughts.