Boston Commons team members (from left) Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama gesture as they participate in the inaugural TGL golf league in Florida, the United States, in this undated photo file. (Courtesy of TGL/-)
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ith the inaugural TGL presented by SoFi season approaching its playoffs, the scorecard for the innovative and prime time team golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy makes for some impressive reading.
Star power, entertainment value, great golf, eye-catching virtual holes – check.
Impressive TV ratings, smooth delivery of sophisticated tech, fun and buzz for in-person fans – check.
Strong buy-in from a wide range of investors, nimble management and full backing from the PGA Tour – check.
Two months on from its highly-anticipated launch, TGL has proven to be an addition to golf’s landscape and a massive success story. The league has achieved so much in so little time that many believe it will help advance the sport’s growth, especially among new and younger audiences.
"It's just a different form of golf," said two-time major winner Justin Thomas, whose Atlanta Drive team has secured a spot in the playoffs.
McIlroy, whose Boston Common team includes Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, added: “I think people have enjoyed watching it on TV. There's nowhere I can go that people aren't talking to me about it."
For sports fans in Asia, TGL is broadcast live primarily on Tuesday and/or Wednesday mornings, which makes for easy viewing on TV or a device for those who skip work! The transformative league comprises six teams (four players each), which are owned by some of the United States' biggest sports franchise owners and A-list celebrities. They include Stephen Curry and Serena Williams plus Steve Cohen (owner of New York Mets), Arthur Blank (owner of Atlanta Falcons) and Fenway Sports Group (owners of Boston Red Sox and Liverpool).
With Mike McCarley, a long-time media executive, serving as CEO of TMRW Sports and with Woods and McIlroy cofounders of the venture, TGL is taking small but confident steps in showcasing a unique, engaging and exciting product that is so refreshing and different from the traditional 72-hole individual competitions of which the PGA Tour is the benchmark.
Each TGL match is played over 15 holes, chosen from 30 original and frankly, mind-blowing creations by three companies including Nicklaus Design, with an emphasis on risk-reward and stunning visuals. The Spear, The Lava, On the Rocks and Boomerang are among the virtual holes created to test the players in the purpose-built, and tech-laden SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Golfers hit their tee shots and approach shots in the ScreenZone, off of real grass or sand, from 35 yards out into a giant, five-story simulator screen with state-of-the-art technology that is more than 24 times larger than the standard golf simulator. Within approximately 50 yards, players move into the GreenZone, a specially built short game area which has a 41-yard-wide rotating putting surface with the technology under the green to change the undulation of the greens.
McCarley, a former top executive at NBC Sports and Golf Channel, loves the team golf concept, which brings out the characters of players and delivers high-octane entertainment, and it is delivering on all fronts. The first nine holes are played in Triples format, each team member hits a shot in sequence, before going into the Singles format (1 versus 1) over the last six holes. The one fun twist is “The Hammer” which, when an orange towel is thrown by any team/player, can make a hole worth two points.
There is no messing about as players are on a Shot Clock to ensure they rip shots into the giant screen or hit a shot within the short game area inside of 40 seconds, and each match lasts approximately two hours. Inside SoFi Center there are 73 camera sources capturing the action including 20 robotic ones and 10 in the virtual world. Included are six full swing monitors at both the front and back tee boxes, and six additional ones below a slope closer to the giant screen.
TV ratings have been above expectations, averaging 765,000 viewers across the six prime time matches on ESPN with three of the matches reaching a peak audience of 1.2 million viewers. Additionally, the TGL audience is one of the youngest in sports with 42 percent of its audience in the advertiser-coveted adult 18-49 demographic.
There are no gimmicks in TGL, and the format makes the matches compelling, and golfers being golfers, they have taken the competition seriously and the mic-ed up feature for every player provides for interesting insights and trash-talking.
Nearly every golfer in TGL as also commented on how much fun they are having playing TGL. Following Monday’s match, Atlanta Drive GC’s Patrick Cantlay commented, “It's fun being on a team with these guys. I think we get along great. There's good chemistry between us, and it's a fun environment out there.” And Los Angeles Golf Club’s Sahith Theegala said, “This is the most fun golf I've played in a really long time.”
The semifinal playoff series (Los Angeles vs. New York, and The Bay vs. Atlanta) begins March 17 and 18, to be followed by the best-of-three finals series for the SoFi Cup on March 24 and 25.
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The writer is senior director, marketing and communications, APAC for the PGA Tour.
