PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Tiger vs. Rory.
This dream golf showdown rarely happened during the past 15 years on the PGA TOUR, much to the disappointment of golf fans. But their first matchup in TGL, the new golf league backed by two of golf’s most popular superstars, gave a glimpse into the fun and excitement when the stars do align.
Simulator or not, when Woods and Rory compete against one another, sparks can fly. Attending Monday night’s match between Tiger’s Jupiter Links squad against Rory’s Boston Common team proved that. I came in a skeptic after watching bits of TGL action on ESPN the first couple weeks, but after Monday night, I left a fan of the new league. What changed for me? Seeing the players fully engaged in a tight contest was important, but what was more interesting was scanning the crowd.
I saw a 10-year-old wearing a Jupiter Links T-shirt, yelling, jumping up and down and waving his ‘hammer’ towel for much of the match. At one point, the crowd almost got the wave rolling around the 1,500-seat SoFi Center. The energy was just as good, if not better, than the 17th hole drama I witnessed at The American Express 10 days earlier in Palm Springs, Calif. While golf purists and old-timers grumble about the merits of indoor golf or the technology glitches that are bound to happen, it’s the young fans that TGL can really reach and impact.
“It’s amazing to go up and to compete against one of your heroes,” McIlroy said. “I’ve shared the course with him many times, and I’ve been in a couple of final groups with him, and he has just as much intensity out there tonight (Monday) as he does when he’s trying to win a major championship or trying to finish off a golf tournament. He was feeling it out there, and it was really cool to see.”
The two matched wits throughout the night, although the magic of a do-or-die shot to win it all didn’t quite materialize. The contest ended in a draw after the first 15 holes, setting up a best-of-three overtime closest-to-the-hole chip-off. Unfortunately, Boston Common’s Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley hit poor pitch shots to lose, leaving golf fans one shot short of a final Tiger-Rory showdown.
“I’ve played plenty against him in stroke play, but this is different. This is a totally different animal and a different beast,” Woods said. “It’s more for entertaining. It’s more for the growth of the game. The fact that the two owners came together tonight and put on a show like this, it was a very important night.”
What’s it’s like to attend a TGL match inside the SoFi Center
My seat was a little different vantage point than GolfPass Senior Writer Tim Gavrich’s experience a couple weeks earlier during TGL’s debut.
I sat inside the luxury box of Whistle Pig, the popular whiskey maker from Vermont. That brought perks like tasting its brand-new 10-year-aged Snout-to-Tail Bourbon and a full buffet of food to enjoy.
Is WhistlePig golf’s best whiskey?
I hate to admit it, but I’m starting to become a whiskey snob. Blame my golf buddies. I was always a beer guy until they strong-armed me into getting into the highly competitive world of high-brow whiskey. Just like golfers endlessly debate the best courses, whiskey lovers argue over the best tasting bourbon and rye. WhistlePig makes a strong case to fill up your golf flask with its 10-year-aged Snout-to-Tail Bourbon ($80). This new bourbon batch is infused with rich caramel, vanilla, and smoky maple notes thanks to Vermont oak and smoked maple wood barrels, which are flipped during the aging process. I sampled it in a Whiskey Sour and Old Fashioned. Both went down a little too smooth. That’s a good problem to have. “I would be honored if more golfers decided that our 10-year bourbon was their (celebratory) birdie shot. I would love that,” said Mitch Mahar, research and development distiller for WhistlePig.
The best part of the box seating was the view. Although we were located across the stadium from the massive simulator screen, we were mere feet from the action around the rotating green all night. It was fascinating to watch the best players in the world struggle to adjust to the arena lighting to read and make putts. After each hole was completed, someone would move the hole to another spot on the green to keep the players guessing. Jupiter Links’ Kevin Kisner and Scott both stubbed chips that went nowhere. It was also wild to see Woods commit the first shot-clock violation in TGL history.
If I had one suggestion to improve the spectator experience, it would be to tone down the green contours a tad. It could add to shotmaking fireworks if the greens were actually slightly easier, which would allow players to make eagle putts or chip in for birdie more often. The reactions from the crowd and the players was always more energized when the ball went in the hole during a clutch moment. There were a few too many groans when important putts slide by the hole time and again.
More SportsCenter highlights on ESPN should mean more interest and viewers. It was great to see TGL start to unlock its potential with this match. Let’s see if the league can continue to build on this momentum the rest of its first season.
After a few weeks of TGL matches, have you become more or less of a fan of the new league? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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