It has been a mixed start to life for TGL, with fans treated to the sublime and ridiculous in the league founded by the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
There was plenty of intrigue ahead of TGL‘s debut, particularly after it had been delayed by a year. Not only were fans interested to see a format where the players’ characters are much more important, but they also wanted to know how some of the world’s best would fare playing on a simulator.
The league’s potential became clear during the overtime win for Jupiter Links over Boston Common. But there have also been a number of issues, including a number of one-sided games and concerns over how accurate the technology is.
The match in week two between Los Angeles and Jupiter Links attracted criticism. Sahith Theegala noted that he seemed to be hitting shots a club further, while some were baffled when Tiger Woods hit a wedge shot 30 yards long at one stage.
Why Tiger Woods saw TGL wedge shot go 30 yards long
Woods had just over 100 yards to the hole. However, he sent the ball flying over the green and into the hazard. It led to some believing that the simulator was not working properly.
But speaking to Golf Digest, TGL tech chief Andrew Macaulay tried to clear up exactly what happened.
“That was the shot that he hit, but I do want to clarify something: The shot he was trying to hit was 101 yards. The total distance of the shot he hit was 131 yards. Everyone’s been focused on that 30-yard difference and saying, ‘Tiger Woods doesn’t do that,’ right? Unfortunately, there was a graphical error on the screen,” he said.
“If you watch the shot itself, the ball landed long of the green onto a severe downslope and took a big kick forward into the water. You can see it for yourself, and we have the data on it. The actual distance the ball carried of that shot was 119 yards. But because the ball ended in a penalty hazard, the system displayed the total distance number [131 yards] twice.”
Further incidents involving the TGL simulator
Clearly, the shot was not as bad as it initially appeared. However, Macaulay’s explanation means that Woods still carried the ball nearly 20 yards too far.
Perhaps the adrenaline got to Woods as it had for Theegala. But the problem is that fans have to trust that the simulator is basically spot on – otherwise it damages the credibility of the entire product. Why should fans care about TGL if there is a decent chance that a shot will not be picked up correctly?
There were further issues recently, with Tommy Fleetwood having to retake a shot after his first attempt registered incorrectly. It turns out that his divot was picked up by the technology instead of the ball.
That situation was fortunately so obviously wrong that it was able to be rectified immediately. But it is clearly a problem TGL does not need with some golf fans yet to be convinced about the idea.
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