TGL could have hardly asked for a better match pitting Tiger Woods against Rory McIlroy for the very first time, with Jupiter Links beating Boston Common in overtime on Monday.
There is no question that TGL have got their fixture list spot on so far. Recognising that retaining viewers from their first week would be their biggest challenge, they held Tiger Woods back for week two. Meanwhile, after a disappointing third week, Woods returned to take on Rory McIlroy.
And it did indeed prove to be a match which showed TGL’s potential.
There were considerably fewer mistakes than Jupiter Links’ first appearance in the SoFi Center. And it was surely the best performance on the greens from both sides, with Tom Kim in particular, thriving on the stage.
Rory McIlroy reacts to facing Tiger Woods in TGL
But of course, so much depends on how Woods fares. There were still some shaky moments, including a time violation towards the end of the game. But Woods definitely appeared to have dusted off the cobwebs.
And while that cost McIlroy’s team this time around, the Northern Irishman could not help but admit that he loved seeing Woods’ competitive spirit come to the fore.
“Yeah, it’s amazing. I don’t think anyone can underestimate the impact that he’s had on our game and the impact that he’s had on all of us as professional golfers. Would TGL exist if Tiger wasn’t around for 20 years? Probably not,” he said.
“It’s amazing to go up and to compete against one of your heroes. I’ve shared the course with him many times, and I’ve been in a couple of final groups with him, and he has just as much intensity out there tonight as he does when he’s trying to win a major championship or trying to finish off a golf tournament. He was feeling it out there, and it was really cool to see.”
Fans ridicule Rory McIlroy after claim about Tiger Woods
It is safe to say that the comments have not gone down at all well with many. While it was undoubtedly an outstanding night for TGL, some have ridiculed McIlroy for comparing Woods’ intensity to when he was in contention in major championships.
One person wrote: ‘Look I loved the TGL tonight and it’s been good but we don’t need to do this‘, while another said: ‘TGL is now just as intense as The Masters? I’m taking notes‘.
Others fear that the comments may overshadow TGL’s best match yet, with one writing: ‘Enjoyed watching it tonight. We don’t need to ruin it with this. Let it be what it is‘.
There has also been comments made due to the criticism LIV Golf have received for not being a serious competition. One fan posted: ‘Very “these guys are having so much fun” first season of LIV vibes.’ There was also a defence of Talor Gooch given how some of his statements about LIV have been received.
And another fan posted: ‘This is embarrassing for the sport.. I’m sure all the fans of real golf will go after Rory like they went after Gooch for the Ryder Cup comment‘.
It is definitely a shame that McIlroy appears to have annoyed a number of fans with his comments about how seriously Woods took TGL. Clearly, his own personal pride would have left the 15-time major champion very keen to win, particularly after their 12-1 defeat in week two.
But Woods knows better than anyone how the majors define a player’s legacy more than anything. Ultimately, he is highly unlikely to remember week four of season one of TGL particularly vividly once his career is done.
And it would be no surprise if McIlroy already wishes he had not made such a claim after what was easily TGL’s best night.
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