Rickie Fowler hits a shot on Monday throughout TGL play.
Getty Photos
On the eve of TGL’s starting, our begin stuttered.
Me, by way of textual content: “You continue to good to assist? Can be enjoyable.”
Him: “Yep what am i supposed to observe it on”
Me: “ESPN”
What’s a TGL match actually like? We have been there on opening night time
Him: “how do i get that”
Good query.
After all, there have been others Monday, when the star-fronted, star-backed, Star Wars-like golf-in-an-arena league teed off. What would the play of Tiger and pals be like? Would it not be crisp? What would the simulator be like? Would it not be actual? What would the rotating inexperienced be like? Would it not be pure? What in regards to the followers? And the vibe? And the printed? On and on and on. And pundits far and broad, together with up and down your Twitter scroll, have opined, together with on this web site, and you may peruse our splendidly written dispatches right here and right here and right here and right here. They’re glorious distillations of the motion.
However do you have to wish to decide whether or not this factor will really birdie or bogey, the supply you need to examine is a member of the viewers TGL is sincerely attempting to lasso.
Somebody younger.
Like a teen. Like a 20-something. Of us who devour golf content material simply as a lot as anybody else, however in a complete host of newfangled methods. This group won’t watch 2 seconds of, say, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Golf Channel, however they could tune in for TGL for two hours on ESPN, if achieved properly.
After all, that’s if they’ll discover the channel, which, as I discovered, was really unsurprising.
The back-and-forth on the high of this text was with my 16-year-old nephew, Mason. He’s been on this house earlier than. I’m naturally a fan of his. And he’s a fan of golf. Whereas seeing him over the vacations, we performed in some method 9 (9) occasions — in frigid Wisconsin. He’s precisely whom TGL craves, so he agreed to observe the printed and discuss with me afterward, and that dialog is beneath. Notably, regardless of numerous hype, he knew solely the overall idea about what he was going to view.
Nor was he itching with anticipation.
Mason, by way of textual content, at 8:52 p.m. ET, 8 minutes earlier than the beginning: “i’m not house proper now i’ll be house in a minute.”
Me: “It begins in 5 minutes!”
Mason: “8 and that i’ll be house”
Me: “Hurry!”
Two hours later, I known as him. The elements the place I communicate are in italics.
The instant takeaways — ‘Rickie was form of bizarre’
TGL is completely different. However to thrive, it’ll want this 1 important ingredient
“Hi there,” Mason murmurs.
Thanks for watching. You prepared?
“Mmhmm.”
All proper, the primary query is absolutely, actually fundamental.
“OK.”
And be at liberty to speak so long as you need.
“Mmhmm.”
However what did you suppose?
“Um, I don’t know, I believe you overhyped it a bit of bit. [More on this later.] I imply, properly, I favored it. It was actually quick at first, and I suppose a bit of bit extra enjoyable at first after which it form of slowed down. However I don’t know, I suppose I used to be — like, I favored it lots, however I don’t know. I believe I used to be anticipating a bit of extra. And the mics have been — they talked in regards to the mics being an enormous a part of it, after which they solely talked in regards to the sizzling mics and so they solely confirmed them a few occasions. However I nonetheless favored it.”
What did you want greatest?
“I favored that inexperienced. And that they might give one another putts and it will be like if you happen to’re out scrambling with your folks or one thing, such as you simply give them a putt. I like that.”
What did you just like the least?
“Um, I don’t know. I suppose how sluggish it went. However I don’t know discuss that.”
Am I proper in saying that each one the brand new stuff at first made it appear quick after which later, simply since you obtained used to the way it appeared, it obtained down to only golf? Is that kinda proper?
“I imply, yeah. I believe individuals obtained used to it and they might hold attempting to place it in your face all of the stuff that they have been utilizing, and it simply form of dulled out a bit of bit.”
What was the funniest half?
“Um, I don’t know. I suppose when Xander [Schauffele] needed to chip twice. He chipped from the inexperienced and he chunked it to the opposite facet after which he like duffed it once more.”
What was the weirdest half?
The TGL’s first broadcast gave us a genius innovation … AND a sugar excessive
“Um, I don’t know. It’s probably not a component, however I observed that Rickie was form of bizarre. I’m not calling him bizarre, however the entire time he form of appeared off. Everybody else was making jokes and stuff after which Rickie was form of like in his personal world, I suppose. He talked a bit of bit, however each time somebody would discuss to him or one thing, he would simply give a one-word response. However I don’t actually know what else was bizarre.”
What was probably the most skibidi (fellow olds, please look this up)?
“OK.”
Needed to do it.
“That higher not go on the web site, I’m critical.”
The motion — ‘Of all of the individuals they interviewed, I assumed it was bizarre’
On a scale of 1-10, how did you just like the golf half alone?
“I imply, I don’t know, I at all times like watching professionals play as a result of each shot goes straight when they need it to. So like an 8 or 9.”
On a scale of 1-10, how did you want the entire simulator a part of it?
“That half was sick. I wish to play it. Like a ten.”
That truly goes into my subsequent query. I’m questioning whenever you have been watching it, have been you possibly extra taken with eager to play it someday, or have been you extra to see how the professionals would do?
“I don’t actually care how they do. I simply thought that this was sick. I imply, Xander’s one in every of my favorites; I like him. I like Rickie. I imply, that was cool watching them, however, I don’t know, I believe the entire enviornment, that was fairly cool.”
On a scale of 1-10, how did you just like the presentation, that means the printed and the graphics and stuff like that?
“I don’t know. There was just one digicam form of in the beginning the place the gamers appeared unhealthy, however aside from that, I believe it was actually good. The intermissions have been actually sluggish and it form of introduced away from it. However I favored how they introduced up Tiger and Rory [McIlroy] and so they interviewed them. DJ Khaled, which was sudden. I assumed it went fairly properly.”
What did you consider DJ Khaled?
In TGL’s debut, this good guidelines twist made the entire thing work
“That was form of bizarre. I don’t actually know. Of all of the individuals they interviewed, I assumed it was bizarre.”
On a scale of 1-10, what did you consider the banter, the backwards and forwards between the gamers?
“Um, there wasn’t as a lot as I anticipated. I assumed there’d be extra. However it was fairly cool. Just like the timeout that they took to ice Xander. I assumed there can be a bit of extra, but it surely was enjoyable.”
Viewing habits — ‘I don’t watch simply uncooked on cable’
What do you know about this going into at the moment?
“I knew that there have been a bunch of execs divided up into groups that have been going to play on a simulator and an enormous, rotating inexperienced.”
That was about it, proper?
“Yeah.”
Had been any of your folks speaking about this?
“I imply, no. There was a bit of on TikTok and stuff about how there was like a bunker and you’d hit into an enormous display screen that’s like 100 occasions the dimensions as a daily one. However I didn’t actually know anything.”
I hate to know this reply, however did you learn any of the GOLF Journal tales about this?
“No.”
Hmm, that’s OK. How does this evaluate to the golf that you just usually watch, just like the Grant Horvat stuff, the Good Good guys, the Fore Play guys? (He notably has a Fore Play headcover.)
“Clearly it’s a bit of extra skilled and stuff. Clearly they’re higher. If you’re watching a YouTube video, they’re all pals and there isn’t as a lot on the road. To me, the mics and the new mics and a few of the stuff appeared a bit of bit not pressured, however I don’t know if it was all pure. The YouTube stuff, I’m not saying it’s 100% uncooked, but it surely’s a bit of extra relaxed, I suppose, and so they’re simply on the market filming and capturing. And that is broadcast on tv and there’s an enviornment and stuff like that.”
What does TGL stand for? A pointless investigation (with a stunning twist)
Is that the most important attraction to you for just like the Good Good guys and the Fore Play guys and Grant Horvat?
“I believe Good Good and Grant, they’re all youthful, and I don’t find out about the remainder of the those that watch them which might be my age, however after I’m older, clearly I’m not going to be a golf content material creator, however I wish to be the identical talent degree as them. I believe the attraction is that they’re younger and doing what they need and so they’re good at what they do.”
Do you suppose after watching TGL tonight, you’d wish to watch extra professional golf on NBC or CBS or Golf Channel?
“Um, I don’t know. I’m not a fan of the commercials and stuff, however yeah, most likely.”
Do you watch any professional golf?
“Yeah, a bit of bit, however not on like cable.”
Yeah, that’s a superb level. The place do you watch it then?
“Like clips or reruns. On YouTube, you could find all of Scottie Scheffler’s photographs when he gained the Masters, or you could find all of Hideki’s photographs. [Hideki Matsuyama.] I like watching that. That’s often what I watch. I don’t watch simply uncooked on cable.”
What wouldn’t it take so that you can watch conventional tv golf, or is that simply not doable? You similar to watching a number of highlights like that?
“I imply, no, there’s nothing — it’s simply sitting in the lounge versus sitting in my room. There’s nothing stopping me from watching it; it simply doesn’t come into my thoughts like, let me go into stay tv and placed on the Golf Channel.”
If I hadn’t requested you to observe this tonight, would you might have watched it?
“I imply, I knew that it was occurring. I didn’t know when. If I didn’t watch it tonight, I most likely would’ve watched one thing about it one other night time.”
Be utterly sincere, are you going to observe it once more?
TGL’s biggest first-night success may also be the most important problem to its future
“Um, yeah.”
You critical?
“Yeah, I believe I’ll.”
Would you watch it two months from now?
“Perhaps. Relies upon who’s enjoying in it.”
Questions for me
What questions do you might have for me?
“Did you prefer it?”
I did. I assumed it was completely different and fast-paced in the beginning. For me, there was numerous attempting to determine what this all was in a short time after which the golf itself was very quick, so I assumed that was very enjoyable to observe. However then as soon as it obtained into it, it was golf golf once more. I believe it’s an addition to the panorama, however I don’t know if it wholly differentiates itself. However it was golf in January. You talked about you want to observe professional golf since you like to observe nice photographs. Like, I don’t know if that performs out in simulators as a lot. In addition they say, if you happen to have a look at different leagues which have simply began, you gained’t actually know for like 15, 20 years if that is going to work. It’s a course of. That stated, consideration spans are so low, does it final greater than two years? To carve out an area when there are soooo many choices would be the trick. And when children your age are going elsewhere to get their content material, I don’t know. What else you bought?
“What did you suppose was the funniest half?”
What did I believe was the funniest half? Hmm. I laughed when Shane Lowry stated he desires to be the Scottie Scheffler of indoor golf.
“Oh, yeah.”
That was good. What else?
“Are you able to lose to me the subsequent time you play me?”
Oh, I see. [Editor’s note: He’s NEVER won, though the author is afraid the day is fast approaching.] I don’t know if I can put that into a printed story. Laborious to say. I obtained a query for you: Have you ever listened to any of Nelly Korda’s suggestions? [Editor’s note: Last November, at the CME Group Tour Championship, I asked Korda for a tip for Mason to help him break 80 consistently.]
“Um, yeah, I exploit an alignment stick each time now.”
Tiger Woods has already hit the perfect shot in TGL’s quick historical past
All proper, final query. In any case that we talked about right here, on a scale of 1-10, what’s your quantity for what you noticed tonight?
“Perhaps a six and a half.”
That’s respectable. Inform me why.
“I believe you overhyped it a bit of bit. [Editor’s note: Thinking about this a day later, I realized I’ve never asked him to watch golf like this before, so I understand what he’s saying here.]”
I don’t know. The primary level of that is, you’re the viewers they’re attempting to get. I imply, they form of care about me, however I’m going to observe golf regardless, as a result of it’s my job. I’m actually curious to know what you thought.
“I imply, I favored it, however I believe it obtained repetitive. OK, these guys are execs, and it’s like, it’s a par-5, they’re going to hit the green, lay up, go to the inexperienced and two-putt, or they’re going to stand up and down, and so they’re going to be like, wow, good shot. After which I don’t know. It was that each gap. I’m not asking for them to shank the ball or kill somebody within the crowd or cranium it over the inexperienced. Then it’s like, OK, let’s go to the large, rotating inexperienced, and, oh, by the best way, there’s 600 bolts or no matter beneath this inexperienced — they stated that lots, and I used to be like, OK.
Would it not be extra enjoyable for you if every one of many groups had one of many Fore Play guys on it or one thing like that?
“Oh, yeah, I believe if that they had — particularly in alternate shot — that they had one man who was unhealthy. Not even from Fore Play. In the event that they introduced in some random man from the group that’s like an 8-handicap, I believe that will be good.”
All proper, this was enjoyable. Thanks for doing it. Somewhat nervous you weren’t going to observe.
“Yeah, I discovered it.”
When’s the final time you used a channel information and watched cable?
