Smith: What I loved (and hated) about TGL's first broadcast

So, the first TGL broadcast in the books after years in the making. 

The Bay, led by an inspired Ludvig Aberg, triumphed over New York's Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rickie Fowler with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as spectators. 

I stayed up through the night to watch it and, perhaps feeling a bit groggy because of the lack of sleep, did not really know what to make of it. 

My most immediate thoughts were that it was mildly entertaining but largely forgettable. 

I wrote last week that it was doomed to fail and nothing I witnessed on Tuesday evening morning really changed my mind. 

Maybe I was a bit strong, though?

Below, I have attempted to explain what I believe TGL got right and what they got badly wrong on opening night. 

First up: 

The good 

The technology is undeniably impressive and it did leave you with a feeling of wanting to give it a go. 

An awful lot has been written about the screen (did you know it's really big?!) but we have to give credit here that it's a legitimately cool piece of kit. 

I also felt like the production is what those god-awful TNT 'matches' should be like. The most recent 'Showdown' between McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler versus LIV recruits Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka dragged on so much that by the end everyone's favourite Content Creator™ looked like he didn't even want to be there. The pace of TGL was excellent. 

The players do seem invested in it. Billy Horschel spoke of the importance of this on the eve of the first event and everything he said was absolutely bang on: TGL competitors cannot be robots but nor do they need to be OTT. 

I was fearful that the player exchanges and the banter between them was going to be forced but it didn't appear so on opening night. Schauffele was at his self-deprecating best, as was Lowry. 

The shot clock was undoubtedly the best thing. It's obviously a very different setting and the consequences of hitting a poor shot on TGL compared to a regular Tour event or a major are completely different, but it just goes to show that perhaps they could be introduced to try and speed things up without ruining the game.

What about the commentary? Well, one of the things I've absolutely hated about LIV is Arlo White bellowing in my ear telling me how brilliant everything is. TGL's lead announcer, Matt Barrie, was far more reserved than I thought he would be - which is a good thing.

The course was interesting, wasn't it? My mind isn't totally made up on this one. I initially thought it would be cooler for the players to be playing courses we are all accustomed too, but the holes weren't nearly as bizarre as we thought they were going to be. 

Which leads us nicely onto the format. A few months ago a video surfaced with a digital Rickie Fowler explaining how it would all work. Initially, I thought it was going to be overly complicated, but the 'triples' worked well, keeping each player constantly involved. 

The bad

It was fast-paced but I still think TGL could be condensed down further. In this age where our attention is increasingly difficult to maintain, a two-hour broadcast still seems like a bit much. Perhaps 90-minute matches might work better?

Players are mic'd up but one thing that has been raised already is that spectators in the audience didn't know what was being said. That needs to change. Unless you're familiar with each player's accent, it was also difficult to know who was speaking and at what time. 

I'm not sure we even need 'The Hammer'. The last thing we need is more rules. 

The non-stop music in the arena may have been cool for spectators inside the SoFi Center, but for the armchair viewer at home it was particularly annoying. It felt like an attack on the senses. 

The crowd were also a big fat disappointment. If the atmosphere was amazing, it didn't translate on the broadcast. At the beginning of the broadcast, the cameras showed one fella abosultely losing his mind with excitement. Really?

Verdict

There's enough to like but I just can't see this taking off properly or keeping peoples' attention for a full two hours every week. 

Viewing figures from week one were good but let's be real, the numbers were surely people just tuning in to see what all the hype was about. 

And to see Tiger. 

As continues to be the problem with LIV, I can't see the team aspect really taking off either. 

Dustin Johnson may be contractually be obliged to tell you otherwise but who believes the future of the 4 Aces keeps him up at night?

Not me. 

I think the same is true of TGL teams. 

McIlroy says TGL have tapped into this market better than LIV by having the teams represent U.S. cities but I still don't think it really works. 

I think my biggest takeaway was now that I have watched it I have no desire to watch it again. 

Do you agree with my thoughts?

Don't hesitate to let me know: ben.smith@golfmagic.com

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