Expectations for the TGL, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new indoor golf league, were mixed -- to say the least.
Would it be entertaining? Would it be awkward for television viewers? Would it make any sense? Would non-golf fans watch it? Would it frustrate tradition-loving golf fans?
Several of those expectations were brought to light during Tuesday's first match between The Bay Golf Club and New York Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
But the main takeaway from the golfers and others is that the event was a good ol' time.
"(TGL) is a game. It's not necessarily pure golf," Denver native Wyndham Clark said after the match. "There's a little more game and trick to it. I feel like we got really comfortable with it (tonight). I will say we had a lot of fun. I feel like no one had more fun out there than us. We were laughing. ... We're excited to be part of this."
Clark, who finished 15th in the PGA Tour's season-opening The Sentry last week, is part of The Bay Golf Club that defeated New York Golf Club 9-2 in the first match. Shane Lowery and Ludvig Aberg are Clark's teammates on The Bay. New York Golf Club featured Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick.
TGL is not regular golf. It's golf played indoors. The ball is hit into a screen. There is a "Green Zone" and a "Screen Zone." The game moves fast with a 40-second shot clock. There's banter between the golfers you don't hear normally during a regular tournament.
"It was awesome," said Aberg, who really seemed to enjoy himself. "This whole stadium-like feel is awesome. ... The whole idea is amazing. ... I think this is the future -- where the game is going to head."
The 15-hole match took just under 2 hours, which is how TGL envisioned it. The venue is a 250,000-square-foot facility at Palm Beach State College in Florida. Players hit some shots into a video screen, some off real grass, some off turf, and the bunkers are not just real sand but sand from Augusta National Golf Club.
All of it adds up to a enjoyable and entertaining sidetrack from the usual professional golf scene.
"It's not traditional golf, but it is golf," Woods said on the ESPN broadcast.
The league is the vision of Woods and McIlroy and their entertainment group, TMRW Sports. Both are part of teams in the league as well. Woods is on Jupiter Links and McIlroy is part of Boston Common. They've won 19 major championships in their careers.
While there won't be the stress of Clark needing to make a putt on the 18th green to win the U.S. Open in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club, these are still competive athletes who are looking to win. There is banter and smiles but winning still matters to the pros.
"In card games and everything I do I'm very competitive. I enjoy it," Clark said. "There wasn't much to trash talk about it (because) we were beating them so bad."
There is still some work to be done to make the TGL a polished league. You couldn't hear the players talk with one another as much as hoped. The match also lost a little momentum in the singles portion due to the blowout of the match.
But TGL is not all about drama. It is about fun and entertainment, and, in its first week, it provided a reason to talk about golf at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night.
The six teams are Atlanta Drive, New York, Los Angeles, The Bay (San Francisco), Boston Common and Jupiter Links. The next match is 5 p.m. Tuesday between Woods' Jupiter Links and Los Angeles Golf Club and will be televised by ESPN.
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What they are saying
"This was just a dream conjured up. Rory and I were talking about it; it's hard to believe that dream came into reality and we were able to take golf into another stratosphere, really."
-- Woods on the ESPN broadcast about the TGL
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Golfers with Colorado ties gear up for new season
The PGA Tour season began last week at The Sentry, but several players with Colorado ties will tee it up for the first time in 2025 this week.
Former University of Colorado star Jermey Paul will make his PGA Tour debut Thursday at the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Paul played last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he won the first tournament of the year in the Bahamas before finishing in the top 30 of the points list to qualify for the PGA Tour.
Colorado Academy graduate Mark Hubbard also begins his season at the Sony Open this week. Hubbard played in 30 events on tour last season with seven top 25s and three top 10s.
Air Force Academy graduate Kyle Westmoreland will be playing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and will be part of the field at the Bahamas Golf Classic starting Sunday at The Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis.
Aurora's Davis Bryant, who qualified to play on the DP World Tour in December, and Jeremy Paul's twin, Yannik, will play next week at the Hero Dubai Classic on the DP World Tour.
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Tournaments return to Colorado
After the successful BMW Championship in August, big-time golf will be played in Colorado once again in 2025.
The U.S. Senior Open will head to The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs for the third time. The event will be held June 26-29 and is the ninth USGA event at the course. The previous U.S. Senior Open winners at The Broadmoor were Eduardo Romero in 2008 and David Toms in 2018.
This will be the fourth U.S. Senior Open hosted in Colorado. In 1993, Cherry Hills Country Club was the site with Jack Nicklaus taking home the crown.
The Korn Ferry Tour will continue its stop in Colorado with The Ascendant presented by Blue on July 10-13 at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. This will be the seventh year in a row the tour has come to the state.
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This week in golf
PGA Tour
SONY OPEN
Site: Honolulu.
Course: Waialae CC. Yardage: 7,044. Par: 72.
Prize money: $8.7 million. Winner's share: $1.566 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 5-8:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 2-4 p.m. (NBC), 4-6 p.m. (Golf).
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Previous winner: Grayson Murray.
European tour
TEAM CUP
Site: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Course: Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. Yardage: 7,648. Par: 72.
Prize money: None.
Television: Friday, 1-6 a.m. (Golf), 8:30-9 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 9 p.m.-6 a.m. (Golf); Sunday, 11:30 p.m. (Saturday)-5 a.m. (Golf).
Defending champion: Continental Europe.
Korn Ferry Tour
BAHAMAS GOLF CLASSIC
Site: Nassau, Bahamas.
Course: Ocean Club GC at Atlantis. Yardage: 7,118. Par: 70.
Prize money: $1 million. Winner's share: $180,000.
Television: Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Monday-Tuesday, Noon-3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Previous winner: Jeremy Paul.
Ryder Cup standings
United States
The top six eligible players following the BMW Championship on Aug. 17, will make the team.
Captain: Keegan Bradley
Player Points
1. Xander Schauffele 9718.46
2. Scottie Scheffler 9145.56
3. Bryson DeChambeau 6993.00
4. Collin Morikawa 4638.13
5.Brian Harman 2299.06
6. Wyndham Clark 2228.21
7. Billy Horschel 2091.22
8. Patrick Cantlay 1905.26
9. Tony Finau 1867.88
10. Russell Henley 1737.93
Europe
The top six ranked players following the Betfred British Masters ending on Aug. 24, will qualify for Team Europe.
Captain: Luke Donald
1. Rory McIlroy 792.07
2. Rasmus Højgaard 706.53
3. Tyrrell Hatton 587.84
4. Matt Wallace 505.42
5. Paul Waring 465.13
6. Niklas Nørgaard 419.73
7. Thorbjørn Olesen 357.25
8. Julien Guerrier 353.90
9. Jorge Campillo 343.32
10. Dan Bradbury 320.07