The second season of TGL has reached its conclusion, and it’s hard to judge whether it was a success.
Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose’s LAGC beat Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Golf Links in the Final, with Woods making his long-awaited return to competitive action. The final provided a chance to see the 15-time major winner swing a club once again, so for that alone, it was must-see TV.
So is TGL here to stay? It’s difficult to say. Without Woods playing in the league, the season got off to a slow start, failing to break into the mainstream golfing landscape as its founders, Woods and Rory McIlroy among them, might have hoped.
But as the campaign progressed, there were some really fun moments. Tom Kim’s hole-in-one sent Jupiter into the playoffs, and Woods’ reaction was incredible.
And the league does have one thing that might ensure its survival for a few more years to come: The players care.
Max Homa devastated by TGL final loss
One thing that would be sure to kill the league after its second season would be if the players were completely apathetic to it. Yes, it lacks the prestige of PGA Tour events, but even though TGL is gimmicky, the best players in the world really want to win it.
That was clear from Max Homa’s reaction to losing in the final. He was incredibly blunt when interviewed afterwards, saying, “Yeah, it sucked. I’m not gonna give you a whole lot more than that.”
Even after losing PGA Tour events, players are more open and willing to talk to the media than that. It was obvious that this one really stung Homa.
And on the other side, 13-time PGA Tour winner Rose was itching to get the trophy in his cabinet alongside his US Open trophy.
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He said, “If there’s a chance to put a trophy in the trophy cabinet, man, you’re putting it front and center. The only thing I’ve ever said about a trophy cabinet is you need to leave a space for the next one.
“We don’t know when it’s going to happen in the game of golf, but for now, that will sit proud. Hopefully we get a replica.”
Yes, the league has its flaws, and it hasn’t appealed to the younger generation of golf fans as it might have hoped. But if it means something to the players, then it has a real chance of meaning something to the fans in future seasons.
What Tiger Woods said needs to improve on TGL
Woods is a co-founder of TGL, and acknowledges after his semi-final win vs McIlroy’s Boston Common GC that there are things that need to improve in future seasons.
The 15-time major winner said, “I think the fan interaction could have been better obviously in the venue. They couldn’t hear us talking. We tried to get the audio better.
“I think that the way it was broadcasted on ESPN, I think they did a great job whether it was one or two. I think that people are starting to understand what we’re trying to do, how we’re playing the format, how we’re alternating shots, strategies behind it.
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“And also the fan engagement with the holes. Last year we did more traditional holes because I think that that was a good way to start. But the fans wanted to see something more creative that we’ve never seen in golf.
“So now we got a bat cave. We’ve got some lava out there somewhere. We got apocalyptic Golden Gate Bridge, or Brooklyn Bridge, whatever bridge it is.
“But there’s some differences that I think that the creativity that I think we brought it to this year, and I think that’s one thing that we’re very proud of is that I think the product has gotten even better than it was last year.”
Woods remains committed to improving the product, and all in all, this season was a step in the right direction. After a slow start, there is room for some optimism on where this product can go in the future.
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