The much-anticipated debut of the TGL golf league captivated audiences on Tuesday night, drawing an impressive average of 919,000 viewers on ESPN. Co-founded by golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, the TGL has already surpassed the popularity of LIV Golf broadcasts on The CW for both 2023 and 2024. This viewership milestone also eclipsed last week's PGA Tour season opener, The Sentry, which aired on the Golf Channel and NBC.
The inaugural TGL match took place at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, featuring a face-off between The Bay Golf Club and New York Golf Club. The Bay Golf Club emerged victorious with a 9-2 win. Woods and McIlroy were present at the match, joining ESPN's play-by-play announcer Matt Barrie in the commentary booth. The event marked a significant moment for the six-team league, showcasing its potential to engage a broad audience.
Scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET, the first official match of the TGL will see Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club competing against Los Angeles Golf Club. This match promises to be a thrilling encounter as part of the 15-match regular season, which runs through March 4. Following the regular season, playoffs are set to occur later in March, adding further excitement to the league's calendar.
Interestingly, the TGL's debut broadcast managed to draw more viewers than a Duke-Pittsburgh men's college basketball game, which attracted 717,000 viewers during the same time slot last year on ESPN. This indicates a strong interest in the innovative format of indoor golf that the TGL offers.
Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf will soon take the spotlight when they face off against Tiger Woods' team on January 27. As the league progresses, golf enthusiasts eagerly anticipate more electrifying matches and high-profile showdowns between teams.
Leave a Reply