Thus, the second regular season of TGL is already in the books.
Tom Kim closed the door on Jupiter Links with a hole-in-one to (effectively) send them to the playoffs, and the league as a whole is absolutely on fire.
The playoffs await four teams, more on that later, but TGL is already in top form as a general entity. The second year brought more fun, more guests, and more intrigue, as six teams (more to come) battled for four playoff spots. There were doubleheaders and, most recently, a tripleheader that ended the regular season.
It is not easy to launch a new league. Nowadays you need to have a proof of concept to get people to accept it. The folks at TGL have done an incredible job leading with class and recently ESPN’s Matt Barrie, the host of TGL, sat down with SB Nation to discuss how the magic is made.
If you love golf, you’ll love TGL. You may not know it yet, but you should.
Barrie made a great point when discussing how TGL is supposed to be fun by saying that he often labels it as eye candy. TGL golf is played against a simulator before players hit the green, and then innovative technology is applied that restructures the greens so spectators can watch PGA Tour stars putt.
Admittedly, TGL has a video game level of fun, but that’s part of the appeal of Barrie’s point. This isn’t supposed to be regular golf, as much as we all love it, but there’s enough of it overall and with Tour stars to make you feel like you’ve got the best parts.
TGL also has iconic moments like regular shots in the field. The second season saw the first ace in the league’s short history, recorded by Neal Shipley while suiting up for The Bay Golf Club, and it was a moment that really put the league as a whole on the map. Tom Kim somehow upped the ante in the regular season finale.
It is one thing for moments like this to happen, but another is for the TGL team to be prepared in every way. Neal’s shot resonated across the sports spectrum and will endure for the rest of this professional golf season.
TGL Playoff Teams and Schedule
Sports and their leagues need things that make them stand out. Everyone knows what the touchdown signal is. The sound of a basketball hoop is an iconic sound. You get the picture.
TGL has The Hammer. To be clear, this is a strategy play within the league. Each team has hammers that they can throw at any time and if they are accepted by the opposing team, the hole in question counts double. If a hammer is denied, the declining team loses the hole. There is a strategy involved.
Watching players navigate the Hammer has been part of the fun. Like any league experiencing a data renaissance, there have been conversations about time, place, moments… but part of the story with the Hammer is the iconic “de Barrie.”Hammer thrown!’ when someone offers it.
In the world of sports, Hammer now belongs to TGL. It’s part of the leagues’ growing reputation and a way for them to stand out in the broader ecosystem.
Time will tell what the playoffs have to offer, but overall TGL has been a resounding success.
Here’s to the playoffs and how they play out.