If any players deserve credit following the match between New York and Atlanta Drive in week three of TGL, it is surely Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel, with the pair seemingly understanding their role considerably better than any of the other four names involved in the SoFi Center.
Ultimately, week three was TGL‘s most forgettable yet. Of course, the players involved always had a tough task, with the latest match being the first where there were no signs of either Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy. New York were also dealt a setback with Xander Schauffele missing out through injury.
The likes of Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young disappointed fans, with neither player seemingly particularly interested in adding to the entertainment.
But Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel did their best to make the show much more enjoyable for fans both in the arena and at home, with Horschel performing his version of the Dirty Bird dance in his entrance.
Billy Horschel responds to criticism on social media following his TGL debut
Unfortunately, it is comments that he made backstage during the game which attracted criticism.
Horschel claimed that the producers had asked the players to keep the game close after scorelines of 9-2 and 12-1. Atlanta would indeed go on to win by a much smaller margin, securing a 4-0 victory.
Bizarrely, some fans seem to have taken Horschel’s comments literally, forcing the 2014 FedEx Cup champion to issue something of an apology on social media as he looked to provide some clarity.
Very valid reasons to criticise TGL, but this is not one
Of course, you can imagine a situation where the producers joked with the players about needing a much closer game. They will have seen some of the criticism the league has received, and they would have been braced for fans to lose some interest given the players involved.
And you can understand some frustration, with Hank Haney noting it does damage the league’s integrity.
It would have been great for the product if the two teams had been involved in a game which went down to the final holes. That is arguably when the league’s potential is going to become much clearer – when fans see just how much those close matches mean.
It is certainly hard to imagine, if the producers had tried to somehow engineer a close game, that Horschel would then be silly enough to broadcast it to the viewers.
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