• Loading stock data...
Monday, March 31, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

TGL’s Shot Clock Debut Speeds Up Golf: A Game-Changer for the Sport?

TGL, the new golf league from Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, bucks many traditional golf trends. One innovation, a 40-second shot clock, was extremely popular in the debut match.

TGL

Golf isn’t exactly known as a fast-paced sport. 

But on Tuesday night, during the debut match of TGL, the new indoor league’s 40-second shot clock impressed golfers inside the building and out.

“I couldn’t believe how quickly everything happened,” said Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Champion whose team, The Bay Golf Club, defeated New York Golf Club 9–2. 

There were no shot clock violations Tuesday night, but the pace of play is a major issue at men’s and women’s professional golf tournaments, with five-hour-plus rounds commonplace at most events. The first match of TGL, which was founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, took roughly two hours on ESPN.

Like an NBA game, fans inside the 1,500-seat SoFi Center counted down the shot clock under 10 seconds, with an accompanying heartbeat sound playing in the arena. “I’m always so jealous of basketball and football guys that they get to do this so much more than we do,” The Bay’s Ludvig Aberg said. “It’s cool playing in a stadium.”

New York’s Rickie Fowler, a six-time PGA Tour winner, is bullish on the innovation. “Shot clock, no question,” he said when asked what part of TGL traditional golf could adapt. His teammate Matt Fitzpatrick agreed. “It was much faster than I thought. … I just wish that was real golf as well,” the 2022 U.S. Open champion said.

Former U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team member Max Homa, who will tee it up for Jupiter Links Golf Club alongside Woods next week, was envious of the “electric” pace he watched on TV. “It kept moving and moving,” he said on the No Laying Up podcast. “It felt a lot more like a normal sport where you see a bunch of action and then it goes to commercial, and it’s not that bad to go to commercial because you almost want to catch your breath.”

The presence of Woods in Match 2 should keep fans interested for another week, but it remains to be seen whether TGL will catch on as a staple of the already-busy golf calendar.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

UFL Kicking Off 2025 Season With Labor Fight Still Simmering

The league’s first game is still on, even without a labor deal in place.

Prime Pay: Colorado Gives Deion Sanders $54 Million Extension

Coach Prime has signed a contract extension through 2029.

Cooper Flagg’s Sweet 16 Performance Fuels NBA Tanking Debate

The Duke star shined as the Blue Devils advanced to the Elite Eight.

Rays Home Opener Clouded by Stadium Drama, Mounting Criticism

Both Major League Baseball and Pinellas County call out the embattled franchise.

Featured Today

Columbia, SC - February 16, 2025 - Colonial Life Arena: Rebecca Lobo and Ryan Ruocco during a regular season game.

Inside Ryan Ruocco’s Rapid Rise to ESPN’s Top Voice of Women’s Hoops

The top voice became “quickly addicted” to calling the women’s game.
Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chris Youngblood (8) and the Alabama Crimson Tide bench celebrate during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
March 29, 2025

How Alabama Became College Basketball’s Newest Juggernaut

The Crimson Tide have found success rivaling their historic football program.
Kendall Coyne Schofield
March 25, 2025

Kendall Coyne Schofield Wants More for the Next Wave of Mom-Athletes

The Walter Cup–winning Frost captain says small changes mean “everything.”
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to pass the ball against USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) in the first half at XL Center.
March 23, 2025

‘More Value to Be Had’: Were Women’s March Madness Media Rights Undersold?

Could the NCAA have gotten millions more in its latest TV deal?

NFL Owners Face Big Decisions on 18th Game, Streaming, Rules

The league approaches its key offseason gathering with a sense of resurgent growth.
March 27, 2025

Adam Silver Says NBA All-Star Game Changes Were ‘A Miss’

The commissioner acknowledged poor reception for this year’s game.
March 30, 2025

MLB OK With New Yankees ‘Torpedo’ Bats Used in 9-HR Game

The home run barrage tied an MLB record.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 23, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers at Accor Arena.
March 27, 2025

Silver: NBA Will ‘Explore’ European League With FIBA

Silver said the board of governors showed “enthusiastic support.”
March 27, 2025

MLB’s Growing Payroll Divide: Rich Teams Soar While Poor Lag Behind

The Dodgers’ 2025 player payroll nearly quintuples the Marlins’ spending.
March 27, 2025

Could This Year’s Opening Day Be MLB’s Last With All-Human Umps?

MLB’s automated ball-strike system was used during spring training games.
March 27, 2025

Why MLB Opening Day Overlaps With Sweet 16—and Likely Will Again

Baseball’s season is getting underway on the same day as March Madness.