The latest match in TGL was always going to prove to be a difficult third act, with the likes of Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy nowhere to be seen at the SoFi Center.
It was hard not to feel that week three of TGL was going to provide a lot of information regarding the potential longevity of the league. Of course, plenty of eyes were on week one due to intrigue, while Tiger Woods‘ debut would have seen many come back the following week.
Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel did their best to make the viewing as exciting as possible in week three as Atlanta Drive claimed a 4-0 win.
But sadly, that was the not the case for a couple of the other players involved.
Fans hit out after ‘brutal’ week three of TGL
Even the most optimistic golf fan would have been concerned about the prospect of Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young being involved in TGL. Cantlay is someone who has holed massive putts at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and rarely showed emotion.
And unfortunately, they did not spring any surprises. Neither Cantlay or Young seemed particularly keen to interact with the commentators, and certainly did not appear to be enjoying themselves.
There have already been calls to replace the pair, with one viewer on X writing: ‘If Cantlay and Cam Young are going to be mutes, then get them out of this. Get me Joel Dahmen and Harry Higgs. This is not upselling your game.’
Meanwhile, another suggested: ‘I love TGL and I want it to last. It’s great television on a Tuesday night, but I’d take more conversation over amazing golf. Besides Justin and Billy, I think ten words have been spoken. Young and Cantlay are BRUTAL‘.
Elsewhere, there was further criticism for how the pair conducted themselves in the SoFi Center, with a fan posting: ‘Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel are a perfect fit for #TGL with their outgoing personalities. Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young are playing this like they can’t have this experience end fast enough.’
Of course, the match came just a few hours after Thomas wrote to PGA Tour members about embracing media duties a lot more during tournaments to show more of their personalities. So it was no surprise that fans noticed how uncomfortable his teammate appeared.
There was further praise for Thomas and Billy Horschel, as one fan added: ‘JT, Rickie, and Billy Ho were made for TGL. Cam Young and Cantlay were not lol‘.
And perhaps the comment which summed up the pair best came from the viewer who simply wrote: ‘Cameron Young said about as many words as New York scored points tonight‘.
A big mistake from TGL as Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young make their debut in the same match
Ultimately, how Cantlay and Young conduct themselves during PGA Tour events is down to them. And there is probably a place for a pantomime villain in TGL who becomes known for saying absolutely nothing across the entire season.
However, that is not the role that either Cantlay or Young tried to play. And with that, you do have to question what it was which convinced them to sign up for the league considering how much money they obviously make on tour.
Horschel spoke about the importance of the players showing personality weeks ago ahead of TGL starting up. Unfortunately, him and Thomas were left to do all of the heavy lifting in week three.
Having Cantlay and Young make their debuts in the same week simply proved to be a massive own goal.
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