Breaking down Week 2 of TGL: What works, what needs to improve for simulator league

Posted by Admin January 15, 2025 Golf

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Tiger Woods made his TGL debut on Tuesday night, and it was less than stellar for him and his Jupiter Links Golf Club.

Los Angeles Golf Club routed Woods, Kevin Kisner and Max Homa 12-1 at the SoFi Center, a worse blowout than what happened last week in TGL’s debut between The Bay and New York. Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and Sahith Theegala dominated every aspect you can of simulator golf, and the dominating effort from LAGC highlighted numerous areas where TGL has to grow to be able to succeed moving into the future.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember this is a simulator league created to be different and have fun, and there have only been two matches. It’s not meant to be taken too seriously. Sure, the players want to win and have fans engaged, but the silliness of a 15-time major champion hitting into a massive screen should be fun and entertaining.

Even with all of that, that doesn’t mean the product shouldn’t strive to be the best version of itself, even moving forward in the inaugural season. Let’s dig in.

TGL takes way too long

Two weeks of TGL have produced the same result: creeping past its coverage window of two hours. That’s not good!

TGL is supposed to be fast paced, not only for fans watching on TV and in the audience but the players. It’s meant to be quick and engaging, but especially as matches have progressed and into the second hour of coverage, they have become a slog. No, it doesn’t help there have been two blowouts, but if you think pace of play is going to get quicker in a closer match, well, can’t help you there.

Tuesday night’s match was significantly slower than opening night. Coverage went 19 minutes past its allotted time, and while golf fans are all too familiar with other sports running into golf’s coverage window, TGL shouldn’t creep over unless a match is tied after 15 holes.

Perhaps there needs to be fewer holes. Maybe six holes of “Triples” and six holes of “Singles” would be better? Maybe there doesn’t need to be a 15-minute lead-in for each show. Maybe that’s going to go away as every team makes its debut, but do the basketball-style introductions need to be shown every week? Not sure they do. There’s also another solution…

Shorten the shot clock

The shot clock has been a great part of the TGL, but during LAGC vs. Jupiter Links, players got inside of 10 seconds on the shot clock numerous times. That’s going to happen from time to time as the season rolls on, but Tuesday night seemed excessive.

And why are we taking that long to hit a shot? On a simulator? There’s no major championship on the line. This is a league that’s supposed to be fun and fast paced. Get up there, swing out of your shoes and send it. Why are we stressing over each shot?

Forty seconds isn’t bad, but to help pace of play, why not change the shot clock to 35 seconds or even 30? That would encourage quicker decision making and shot execution. And remember, it’s just a simulator. People want to watch crazy golf shots. Don’t overthink it. A shorter shot clock would encourage a quicker pace.

Questions about technology

This is something that absolutely cannot happen. Social media has been buzzing for the first two weeks of the TGL, but on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, major questions were asked about the TGL’s technology, including its simulator.

Multiple times Tuesday night, the simulator seemed to exaggerate movements on shots. Tiger hit a wedge 20 yards over a green. Kisner, albeit the worst of the six golfers on the night, had a hole where he claims he flushed a wedge shot and the ball ended up 20 yards from the hole. A theme in the first two weeks is draws have been exaggerated, including Homa and Theegala hitting OB on consecutive shots from the fairway with too much left movement on their balls. Homa also hit a ball that landed in a bunker and then just rolled out onto the green, which gave Tiger a chuckle.

Mishits will happen in a simulator, especially in an arena setting that players are not used to at all. Aside from social media, when the players themselves are questioning what the golf ball is doing on the simulator compared to what they feel, that’s not good. It’s nearly to the point where the questions about why the simulator reacts like it does need to be addressed.

More creativity with holes

Some TGL holes (Pick Yer Plunder) are pretty good. Others are too bland.

While the hole designers have shown some creativity with the holes, it’s almost like they’re being too reserved with designs of holes. This is simulator golf. It’s not meant to be real, so let’s get outlandish.

Where are holes where the players have to hit a massive hook or slice off the tee to get it in play? Or the one where the fairway is 10 yards wide? Or where the fairway is a circle that’s 20 yards wide.

It feels like a giant missed opportunity to not have outlandish holes, ones that players and fans look at and go “what are we doing here?” That’s exactly what should be happening. TGL needs to embrace the weird and fun. That’s what this is supposed to be about. Give holes with multiple options or others that require these golfers to show why they’re the best in the world with shot creativity.

Hundred-foot-tall trees guarding the green? Why not. A 10-yard wide fairway with water on both sides? Beautiful. A pin location on the edge of the green. Yes.

As mentioned numerous times, TGL needs to embrace that this product is for entertainment. It can be taken seriously, but the more wild and outlandish holes are, the better it will be for fans watching and perhaps the players can enjoy it more, too, by having fun with unique and creative shots required on funky holes.

Banter needs to improve

Going back to the technology front, there were numerous times on Tuesday night when announcer Matt Barrie tried to talk to players, and the players weren’t able to hear him or didn’t respond. Similar to opening night, trash talk and banter were pretty reserved.

Homa was a star, poking fun at Kevin Kisner’s bad night by asking whether Tom Kim could fly out and replace him and saying “My wife is probably so embarrassed right now.” Kisner’s best contribution was his viral bladed bunker shot, but he had more creative comments than any golf shot he hit, including when he asked Charlie Woods whether he wanted to sub in.

Perhaps it was the lack of a competitive match, but it feels like the players are still getting used to a made-for-TV event. It’s not like they trash talk in the middle of a PGA Tour tournament, so maybe they don’t know the right way to do it.

Homa is a great blueprint for how to be engaging. He’s constantly talking, self deprecating when needed and even jarring his own teammates sometimes. TGL needs more Homa’s.

TGL desperately needs close match

Two weeks, two blowouts. For folks tuning in who don’t watch golf or have no idea what’s going on, a blowout is not going to keep them glued to the TV screen for more than two hours. The golf sickos may stick around, but TGL needs a match to matter past “Triples” format.

Both weeks, by the time the second hour of coverage has come around, the matches haven’t been close. Tuesday night, LAGC led 8-1 after nine holes. The match was well in hand. Blowouts are going to happen in sports (see the first round of the NFL playoffs last weekend), but for a league working to secure its footing in the golf world, it needs a match to come down to the wire to unlock its full potential.