The TGL Championship matches begin on Monday night. Atlanta will face New York at 9pm on ESPN.
This is the best three series, with the second match scheduled for ET on Tuesday at 7pm.
The Rum match will also take place on Tuesday evening, just after the end of the second match if they get there.
The first match features Atlanta Drive's representatives Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantray, with Xander Schaufele, Ricky Fowler and Cameron Young wearing the Navy and White from the New York Golf Club. These two teams played against each other once before on January 21, in their third match of the first season of the TGL. It was also a sleeper as Atlanta easily beat New York 4-0.
However, before the SOFI Cup battle began, we wanted to offer four suggestions to improve the overall TGL.
4. A twist that resembles a hammer
Hammer has a fun little twist during TGL's first season.
If you don't know how this works, here's how it goes.
Whichever team has a hammer, they can be thrown into any hole. When thrown into the opposite team and accepted, the total hole increases by one. Similar to matching plays, holes count at 1 point, but the hammer increases the hole value to 2 points.
However, this requires caution. If the team throws it before the tee shot is played, the opposition must accept the hammer. However, if the hammer is thrown after the hole is in progress, other teams can refuse it. But if that team deny it, they lose the hole.
So far, Hammer has been so successful that TGL has implemented rules changes mid-season. February 14th, TGL announced that each team has three hammers Move forward, not the one before. This increased the volatility for certain matches, giving each hole a little extra juice.
I want to see these twists and turns in my second year.
What are they? who knows. However, the hammer is a fun concept that is distinctive to TGL. There may be new additions next year that will allow players to lose their turns. Or someone has to hit a left-handed shot. Whatever that is, the league should throw it into more twists and turns. After all, it's a product for television.
3. More teams including LPGA stars
TGL has publicly said it will expand beyond six teams, but who will include and how many will take part remains a mystery.
The “Texas Wedge” team of Scotty Schaeffler, Jordan Spieth, Will Zaratorice and Doug Gimm could be a fun addition. Golf fans welcome the opportunity to tee up it at the world number one and perhaps the most entertaining player on the planet, Spieth, Sophie Center.
However, TGL should also invite LPGA stars to participate.
Maybe every team has LPGA players like Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and Lydia Ko. Or perhaps promising stars like Jeeno Thitikul and Rose Zhang can enter the crease. Other solid options could be Australian Hanna Green and French woman Celine Butier.
Or does TGL establish an All-LPGA team to compete with men? That could be fun. Certainly, TGL does not carry the same club as men, so they need to incorporate different tea sets for women. But considering how advanced the technology at Sophie Centre has been, that shouldn't be a problem.
2. Short match time
I've called for this before, but it's worth repeating. TGL matches do not take 2 hours to complete. Certainly, part of the transaction is to sell advertising revenue, offset costs, and create enough commercial load to ultimately change profits. But the 90-minute match is sufficient, not the current 120 minutes.
Eliminate long-term entrances. There is also no need for halftime. Halftim is not present in golf and is not part of the TGL.
The biggest attraction of TGL is the pace of play. It moves fast. It moves quickly. A 40-second shot clock should keep things moving, and the match itself should follow that motif.
Additionally, you can stack double headers like in-n-out double doubles in a 90-minute match. The first match will start at 7pm and the next match will start at 9pm, during which time 30 minutes can be used for warm-up periods, interviews and other features that may be included in the half-up report.
Keep things moving. That's what golf fans want.
1. The season ends earlier
As the PGA Tour descends into Sunshine State from early February to late March, everyone's focus begins to shift to Augusta National. Who is heading in the right direction? What dark horses can you get a green jacket? Will Rory McIlroy finally win and therefore be the seventh player to win a career grand slam?
The TPC Sawgrass is the perfect appetizer for the master, so players will also be held in March. It's a great environment with the best finishes in golf. This is a course that separates things from things you don't have and those you have, especially over the past few years. Sawgrass needs a creative short game unlike tee to green precision, exquisite ball strikes, and unlike Augusta.
This means that at this point on the calendar the golf world is not focused on TGL. The major championship season is beginning to take shape, and the best players want to focus their time and effort on practicing and preparing for Augusta and the majors that follow. Golf fans are also locked in their eyes.
Therefore, we suggest that the second TGL season begins in late November or early December. Anyway, most TGL players live in South Florida, so attending the Sophie Center at Palm Beach Garden is easy. Additionally, ESPN has the rights Monday Night SoccerTGL was able to find a permanent location on Tuesday evening with “world leaders in sports.” Consistent time slots and dedication nights this week will also help this new league. ESPN can promote TGL Monday Night Soccer It aired on TV well before Christmas, showing off the new TGL season.
After that, TGL must put together the postseason the week after Genesis Invitational. Maybe that includes the holiday President's Day playoff matches, including this year's regular season games. But whatever the details are, TGL must end the season at least well before the player.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
