TGL’s debut match exceeded expectations and 14 other takeaways from opening night

The much anticipated debut of golf’s newest venture had the golf world buzzing. Here are some thoughts from its opening night.

Here are 15 takeaways from TGL’s highly anticipated opening match, which saw Ludvig Åberg and The Bay Golf dominate Xander Schauffele and New York by a score of 9-to-2.

Takeaways:

1. TGL’s launch went way better than expected

Nobody knew what to expect on Tuesday night, but what fans and players saw was an incredible spectacle. Granted, TGL did not resonate with some, but it was a stark departure from last month’s Showdown between PGA Tour and LIV Golf stars. TGL’s opening night did not disappoint, as the technology, broadcast, and the players involved made it a worthwhile experience.

2. Unbelievable Technology

The technology employed by TGL and the SoFi Center is simply incredible. The screen players hit into is 24 times larger than any simulator bay amateurs are accustomed to. Trackman technology is involved, too, which produces real-life numbers such as ball speed, club-head speed, and spin rate. That said, trackman results should be displayed after every shot.

Max and Lacey Homa agree as they mentioned in their TikTok below:

3. Green Complex is legit

Once a player’s approach found the putting surface, a spot illuminated on the Green Zone, a nearly 23,000-square-foot short game area opposite the screen. Players would then place their ball on the circle and chip or putt out from there. A real-life bunker also sits beside the green so players can hit real-life sand shots.

It offers a legitimate short-game area that most simulators cannot replicate. Sure, some nuances and differences exist, but overall, the players seemed to enjoy the Green Zone, which is revolutionary. Hundreds of mechanisms sit underneath it, undulating the green in real time and changing its contours after every virtual hole played. Players and fans do not even notice these movements, either.

Perhaps the most extraordinary moment of the match — relative to the Green Zone — came when Matt Fitzpatrick played the 9th hole. The Englishman purposefully played a chip shot well beyond the hole and his ball rolled back down the slope towards the cup, not unlike the imaginative shots players attempt every year at Augusta National. Fitzpatrick then had a tap-in, solidifying that, yes, short-game feel and imagination translate to TGL too.

4. Ludvig Åberg is unstoppable

Something about match play brings the best out of Ludvig Åberg. Remember the 2023 Ryder Cup? Åberg, together with Viktor Hovland, defeated Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9 & 8 on Saturday morning, handing the Americans the most-lopsided defeat in Ryder Cup history.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and Åberg played a massive role in helping his Bay side dominate New York. His 30-foot putt on the green was perhaps the biggest highlight, but so was his pin-seeking all throughout. He’s one of the best players in the world and will vie for major championships for years to come.

5. Rickie Fowler... not so much

On the other hand, Rickie Fowler was all over the place. He did not have a good 2024 campaign, and that unfortunate reality reared its ugly head during his TGL debut. He also seemed frazzled throughout.

Fowler routinely missed fairways and greens to the left and right, while Åberg and The Bay seemingly hit their shots directly at the flag every time. Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick did not bail Fowler out, either, as they did lose as a team. But Fowler’s poor performance was especially notable and difficult to watch really.

6. The pace of play is phenomenal

This was the best part of TGL, bar none. Everything moved swiftly, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. Maybe the PGA Tour and LPGA should adopt a 40-second shot clock.

7. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were there, but not playing?

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy took on the action from the stands, a questionable move at first, but it now comes off as brilliant. Woods and McIlroy both felt that TGL would have plenty of hype and build-up for its debut, no matter who would play. So, they decided to delay their TGL starts until January 14 and 28th, respectively.

That will help keep fans engaged with TGL throughout its first month, as Woods remains the biggest needle-mover in golf, and McIlroy continues to be one of the most popular players around the world.

Woods and McIlroy also spent some time on the broadcast, which was nice to hear. Both players offered terrific insight into TGL’s origin and the play itself. Perhaps Woods should call more golf — that might help the declining television ratings.

8. Golfers had some banter, but we need more

There was some back-and-forth between the golfers, and I loved how you could hear their thoughts and emotions directly on the broadcast. Hearing them chat with each other was terrific, yet we need more of it.

Perhaps the match getting out of hand so quickly resulted in less banter, but regardless of the case, golf fans want to see a player’s personality come through the broadcast.

My favorite line of the night came at halftime, when Xander Schauffele said to ESPN’s Matt Barrie, “You know, super fired up about our 1 point. Not gonna lie.”

Golf needs more of this comedic repartee, whether it’s a tongue-in-cheek line such as Schauffele’s or a hot mic incident. And yes, if you are wondering, Shane Lowry dropped the first F-bomb in TGL history.

9. Fans could be rowdier

Roughly 1,500 fans were on hand at the SoFi Center, and they made their presence known early and often. But once the match got out of hand, the atmosphere, aside from the ‘Bronx Cheers’ directed towards the New York Golf Club, died down a bit. TGL should want to have the fans engaged and vocal throughout the match. It creates a unique atmosphere and puts golfers in the middle of the arena, an experience they are not accustomed to. That said, it’s tough to fully engage in a game when it is a blowout, no matter the sport.

10. Please, no more DJ Khaled

Fans want to see live golf, and DJ Khaled came off as gringey.

Do you know how network executives must interview a company’s C-suite executive during a live golf broadcast over the weekend? Those 60- to 90-second conversations of word salad anger fans because they distract from the action. The same principle applies to Khalid. We want to see golf, not Khaled’s cliches. And no, we do not need to see him drape a chain around Ludvig Åberg after.

11. Lengthy Intro and Intermission

Shane Lowry did not hit the first tee shot until roughly 9:15 ET, 14 minutes after the inaugural TGL broadcast began. Luckily for golf fans, the Pittsburgh-Duke game did not go long, thanks to Cooper Flagg dominating once more. But the build-up and the intro took a little too much time. Granted, this is a minor critique — and perhaps the lengthy opening resulted from it being the first match. ESPN needed to explain the nuances. Yet, as my father often says on any big-game telecast, “Just start the game already.”

Similar sentiments can be expressed about the intermission, which came well past the halfway point of the telecast. The midway break was also littered with commercials, but those help pay the bills and produce revenue, so harping on the influx of ads would be counterintuitive. Even then, a two-hour broadcast is a little long for a TGL match, as it could easily be shortened to 90 minutes or less. Keep things moving; it’s the best part of this new endeavor.

Next week, Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club will play Collin Morikawa’s Los Angeles Golf Club. The match will begin at 7 p.m. ET, a much earlier start time that will delight all involved. Hopefully, the first shot will not be played 14 minutes after the broadcast goes on air.

12. ESPN did a phenomenal job

Even though the above takeaway is a minor critique of ESPN, the World Leader in Sports did an excellent job on night one. Matt Barrie handled play-by-play duties live from the SoFi Center and exquisitely guided the action. He balanced his interactions with the players quite well, never interjecting but never saying too little. I thought he gave the perfect amount of context all night. Barrie is a true pros-pro, and that showed Tuesday night. The same can be said for Marty Smith, who served as the “on-course” reporter.

The presentation and graphics worked well from a viewer’s perspective. The viewer understood what was happening and had context for every situation. ESPN’s ability to duplicate what played out on the screen to linear television is also a big win. It helps emphasize the most crucial part of a golf telecast: where will the ball end up? That curiosity angle, which links the player and the fan watching, kept everyone engaged.

13. Scott Van Pelt elevates things

Scott Van Pelt is perhaps the most respected host in the business. It’s no wonder his Midnight edition of SportsCenter has received rave reviews and terrific ratings since its debut in 2015. His presence — and knowledge of golf overall — helped raise TGL’s profile, giving it a big-game feel. As he does with the star player after a Monday Night Football game, Van Pelt interviewed Ludvig Åberg immediately following the debut match. That’s big time, and Van Pelt will only help TGL in the long run.

14. Heartbeat sensor adds drama

I love the heartbeat sensor that beats as the shot clock winds down. Once the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, a heartbeat sound reverberates across the SoFi Center, adding drama and pressure to the player on deck.

Imagine having this at a PGA Tour event? It could work wonders.

15. Sustainability will be the key

Perhaps the most important takeaway is that sustainability will be key. TGL has never been higher and more popular than it is right now. It received rave reviews from fans, players, and pundits alike. But can they keep riding this momentum through mid-March? Is a 12-week schedule too much? Time will tell, but TGL’s biggest priority right now should be keeping fans engaged during its inaugural season. Night one cannot be the apex of it all.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.