The TGL season is now fully underway, with both The Bay and Los Angeles opening their accounts with emphatic victories inside the SoFi Center.
It is still to be determined just how successful and long-lasting TGL proves to be. There have definitely been reasons for optimism across the first two matches, with the concept showing plenty of potential.
Golf fans get to see another side to many of the world’s best players, with some of their interactions caught on the microphone. Meanwhile, it is interesting to see the shot tracers from the moment the ball hits the screen, as fans learn where the ball is headed at almost the same time as the players.
But it is also a work in progress. And as the novelty starts to wear off a little, it will be intriguing to see whether golf fans stick with TGL or whether people do lose interest.
Keegan Bradley issues his verdict on TGL
The end of the month will likely see the debut of Rory McIlroy, as his Boston Common team take on Jupiter Links. That may mean that Keegan Bradley gets the chance to face Tiger Woods‘ side.
The US Ryder Cup captain was in attendance for Jupiter’s 12-1 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday. And speaking during the broadcast, Bradley issued his verdict on the format – and joked, based on his performance in the latest fixture, that he would hope to face his vice-captain.
“Well, today I would like to play [Kevin] Kisner,” he said.
“It’s so weird to watch these guys on TV or here, they look so calm. I’m going to be so nervous doing this. It’s out of our element. And I just think it’s so fun, especially live, it’s been great.”
The problem TGL is now facing after the first two weeks
In some respects, the presentation took a step forward during the second week of TGL. There seemed to be more time for the players to be heard on the microphones – probably because Tiger Woods was one of those involved.
But the spectacle did not benefit from Jupiter Links being beaten so soundly. It was clear from the early stages that Los Angeles were in much better form. And given what happened in week one, it became incredibly difficult to see any sort of comeback taking place once the gap opened up.
That did mean that the latter stages of the second match dragged at times. And that highlights the issue as the excitement surrounding the format itself starts to fade as the weeks go by.
It now feels imperative that there is a much more competitive match in the near future if TGL is going to retain the fans who gave it a chance out of sheer intrigue.
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