It is arguably not too dramatic a statement to suggest that week three is going to give golf fans a very good idea of just how successful TGL is likely to be for the remainder of its first season.
TGL has had an interesting start. Of course, there had been more than two years of build-up before Shane Lowry hit the first ever shot in the league earlier this month. And it seems that fans enjoyed TGL’s first match, as The Bay thrashed New York inside the SoFi Center.
It was arguably a masterstroke to have Tiger Woods make his debut in week two. There was already likely to be eyes on the product in the first game, so having Woods and Jupiter Links play in the second week gave the league a great chance of retaining the viewership.
However, week two did not pass without issues. Jupiter were thumped 12-1 by Los Angeles. There were potential problems with the simulator, while the highlight came when Kevin Kisner thinned a bunker shot that looked destined to fly across the arena had it not smashed into the flag.
TGL told it needs a rapid change after first two weeks
There is no Woods, Rory McIlroy or even Xander Schauffele in week three, as New York return to action against Atlanta Drive. So it would be no surprise if some fans were not planning to watch this time around.
And speaking on The Chipping Forecast podcast, Eddie Pepperell shared what he thinks the league needs if it is going to be a success.
“The first week, yeah, give it the benefit of the doubt. But it was terrible. Who is it for? If it’s not for the golf fan then you are going to have a hard time getting new people into golf when that is the product I would say. And there is no competition involved, no real drama. Things need to change and probably need to change quite rapidly for that thing to take off. It definitely needs a close match,” he said.
“At the moment I am putting in the Jaguar rebranding basket. That is where it is for me and golf. It’s not quite working.”
The pressure is on TGL ahead of week three
The problem is there are plenty of things to like about TGL, but there are also a number of aspects that need changing. And the direction they go in with those changes may turn off as many fans as it then brings in.
Traditional golf fans are probably not huge fans of the format, particularly when the matches reach the singles. It does feel like the event goes on too long, especially when the results are so one-sided.
One of the more baffling decisions TGL has made is having so many voices who are not the players. The painfully-long interview with DJ Khaled in week one, for example, will be remembered as a defining moment if the league does not succeed.
Fans want to hear more of what the players are saying. Perhaps that will come in time when they become much more comfortable with the stage. But you can understand why some have big concerns about the league’s potential.
Certainly, it is clearly going to take something special for TGL to silence all of its critics.
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