What did the world think of the 1st match of TGL?

There is no doubt that the contest between The Bay Golf Club & New York Golf Club was one of the most anticipated golf events of 2025.

Fans had been waiting for Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy’s TGL to kick off forever. Finally getting to experience the indoor golf simulation event left the fans in awe. Not only that, even the pro golfers playing the event were enjoying themselves. This is not only a positive sign for Woods & McIlroy but also an attractive prospect for the community, as TGL has been a hit and fans can’t wait to see more of it.

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However, there were still a few criticisms that Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy’s project received. Insiders shared their views about the format of TGL and the entire setup after the event had concluded. Let’s look at some of the eye-catching things they had to say.

The Hammer getting overused

The concept of the Hammer is pretty unique in the world of golf and TGL has nearly nailed its implementation. Watching Xander Schauffele trying to throw the Hammer for every shot was extremely entertaining. However, it was clearly overused which doesn’t work well when there is money involved in the competition.

That’s what Smylie Kaufman had to say on his YouTube channel in a podcast a few days ago. Joined by his co-host, Charlie Hulme, the duo were on The Smylie Show to give a review of the 1st match of TGL and share what they felt about Schauffele trying to use the hammer often. That’s when Kaufman said, “It’s a shame, there should be unlimited Hammers,” joking about how the Hammer shouldn’t have been confiscated from Xander Schauffele.

To this, Hulme replied “That was the strongest complaint on social media. You’re 100% correct,” confirming that even the fans wanted to see the Hammer getting used often. However, the 1x PGA Tour winner then stated that unlimited hammers would get things out of control making TGL look more like a gameshow than a sports event.

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Confirmed seat fillers

Fans watching TGL remotely were amazed to see the attendance at the arena at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Nearly every seat was filled and the crowd was enjoying themselves watching the 1st round from the venue.

However, not everyone had paid for the tickets to enter the arena for the first match. No, we’re not talking about athletes and influencers who were invited by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. There was a controversy a few weeks ago where the TGL team was rumored to be looking for seat fillers for the 1st match of the league. A spokesperson from the tournament denied those speculations and all the tickets were purchased by the fans.

However, another insider revealed that TGL did in fact hire actors to participate in the event for the 1st round. In fact, the person who exposed the details was also a spokesperson for TGL, Adam Freifeld. He provided details of the “seat-filler” arrangement. However, as the story gained attention, TGL reps stepped in again to deflect the statement as they said that they did hire paid actors to visualize the event before it happened. There were no actual actors seated in the arena during the live match.

Lack of competitiveness

TGL’s 1st round was fun, entertaining, and exciting. Everyone, from the fans to the players was laughing and enjoying themselves during the entire contest. The atmosphere in the arena was quite energetic and delightful for everyone. But perhaps it was just a bit too much of all of that.

At least that is what Frankie Borrelli thought as he reviewed the 1st round of TGL for the Fore Play Podcast Plus YouTube channel. Speaking to his fellow hosts, Borrelli said that the format of TGL is just too different for it to be a competitive league. He criticized the constant use of music, fake cheering, and booing as he said, “They need to make the shots feel a little bit more meaningful. Because this is a league that needs to be sustainable year after year,”  before stating that this doesn’t feel like natural sports.

Borrelli also shared an example of how “Tiger Woods vs. Rory McIlroy” will be a lot more intense in silence. The Fore Play Podcast Plus host believes that the natural reaction of the crowd after either of the greats hits an excellent shot will be a lot more meaningful. He stated that “all night it was like a game show,” suggesting that TGL is going a bit too far away from competitive golf. The host also Hammered Matt Fitzpatrick for his funny reaction after hitting a bad shot when his team was losing. He thinks that TGL “doesn’t need be this huge charade or circus,” as he expects players to take it seriously just like they would do in PGA Tour or DP World Tour event.

These were some of the biggest criticisms TGL received after the end of the 1st round. However, there were some other issues that caught the spotlight, like DJ Khaled’s appearance getting a lot of heat from the fans.

But, do you think that Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy should make some changes to TGL after receiving such feedback? Do you think the change TGL is bringing, is actually a welcomed surprise to golf? Share your views in the comments section.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL debuts on Tuesday night, with six of the top golfers on the PGA Tour set to compete on a series of fantasy holes custom-designed for the tech-infused league.

The Bay Golf Club – comprised of Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Aberg – will take on Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick of New York Golf Club in TGL’s inaugural match. The teams will go head to head at the bespoke SoFi Center arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The 1,500-capacity arena is home to a giant 3,400 square-foot simulator screen, which the players will hit their longer shots into. They will then turn their focus to a short-game area the size of four basketball courts, which includes a dynamic rotating green that changes orientation and topography depending on the hole being played.

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All of the holes that will be played in TGL’s 15-hole matches have been created for the league, with Agustín Pizá, Beau Welling and Nicklaus Design creating an eclectic catalog of holes that will test every part of the players’ games.

None of the holes that will be played are replicas of the real world, meaning the designers had a blank canvas to create the most spectacular and intriguing holes possible. Here is a look at some of the holes that will be played in TGL’s debut match on Tuesday…

The Plank

Designed by Augustin Piza, The Plank will be the first hole played in TGL, with Shane Lowry having the honor of hitting the first tee shot on the 380-yard par-four. The relatively short length of the hole could tempt players into being aggressive and taking driver off the tee, but the landing area is surrounded by pot bunkers that will bring bogey into play.

Pick Yer Plunder

After walking The Plank, the teams will turn their attention to Pick Yer Plunder – a 590-yard par-five. Also created by Piza Golf, it is a hole tailored for matchplay with players faced with three distinct options off the tee. The risk-reward option is an island fairway in the center of the hole, which is just 27 yards wide and will require absolute precision to find. There are safer options, right or left, but an accurate tee shot will be required to find the short grass and have a chance of getting home in two.

Boomerang

Nicklaus Design’s Boomerang is the next par-five on the agenda, measuring up at 622 yards. The hole gets its name from the shape of its fairway, which will present players with peculiar angles to consider with their tee shots and approaches. Only the longest hitters will be able to set up an eagle chance here, but the awkward positioning of the bunkers makes laying up no easy task, either.

Craic On

Beau Welling Design’s Craic On will be one of five par-threes played in Tuesday’s inaugural match. The 175-yard links-inspired hole is one of the smallest holes in the TGL catalog, but players aiming straight at the flagstick will have to take the wind – which is built into the simulator’s calculations – into account.

Bluebonnet

Set in the hills of Texas, Nicklaus Design’s Bluebonnet can play in two distinctly different ways, depending on the tee box that is used. The shorter tee makes this a 343-yard drivable par-four, while the longer tee makes it a 450-yard beast, with huge consideration to be given to how much of the canyon fairway should be bitten off with the tee shot.

Flex

Piza Golf really used its creative license with this one. Flex, a 528-yard par-four, is set on an active volcano with pools and streams of lava, and players have three options off the tee – with varying degrees of difficulty and reward.

Serpent

Serpent is the opening hole of the singles section, with The Bay’s Shane Lowry taking on New York’s Rickie Fowler. It is a lengthy par-five at 627 yards, and it is not lacking in challenges. The fairways are lined with bunkers and penalty areas, and there are elevation changes to consider when navigating this meaty par-five.

Alpine

Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark will go head-to-head on 535-yard par-four Alpine, which begins with a high-tariff tee shot that requires players to carry the ball around 300 yards over a gorge. Those who find the perfect landing spot will be rewarded with generous run-out, which will dramatically reduce the length an difficulty of their approach.

Cliffhanger

Wind will have to be taken into account when the players take on Cliffhanger, a 240-yard par-three set on the coast of Northern California. Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg will go head-to-head here.

Quick Draw

The 720-yard mammoth par-five Quick Draw is the final hole of TGL’s inaugural match. Like many of the other holes that will be played on Tuesday, Schauffele and Aberg will have options when they step up to hit their tee shots. If a team is trailing, the risky option of aiming for the island fairway that stands above the canyon – which dramatically reduces the length of the hole – is sure to be appealing. A player looking to defend a lead, however, could be more conservative by aiming for the left fairway, although they will have no chance of reaching the green in two.

Golf will look a little different Tuesday night when TGL, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new simulator golf league, debuts on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

The inaugural match won’t feature Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club or McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf. Woods is expected to be present at Tuesday’s debut before his team tees up next Tuesday (there’s a tactical reason for delaying Woods’ first appearance).

Instead, TGL will make its grand entrance with New York Golf Club (Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick) facing The Bay Area Golf Club (Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, and Wyndham Clark).

READ: ‘Let Tiger Woods Play’: Veteran Golfer Makes Bold Appeal to Seniors Tour Amid 49-Year-Old’s Health Crisis

So, how does “Golf but on a screen in a dome” work?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the rules and format:

Each team will play five matches during the season. Before each match, the team will select three players to compete and one to sit out. Cameron Young (New York) and Min Woo Lee (Bay Area) will be sitting out Tuesday night.

The matches will be a 15-hole, 3-on-3 competition with two components.

The first nine holes will be a 3-on-3 alternate shot competition called “Triples.” The three players on each team will rotate who tees off on a hole and then rotate each shot from there. The final six holes will be a rotating head-to-head competition called “Singles.” “Singles” sees each player play two holes, with the competitors rotating after each completed hole.

For example: Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg will face each other on holes 10 and 13, Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler will play 11 and 14, and Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick will duel on 12 and 15.