Does TGL have legs to keep going?
Money behind tech-infused golf league gives it a fighting chance to survive
Ludvig Åberg, Shane Lowry and Wyndham Clark had a ball dominating TGL debut (TGL)
The TGL presented by SoFi is the new bright and shiny object that everyone is talking about in golf.
This is understandable, considering Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are involved not as paid pitchmen but as owners, which means they are committed to the company's success.
Success these days in the world of golf revolves around one thing — money. Do you have access to it, and will it be there in the tough times?
SoFi, a significant finance and technology company, is one of the major backers. SoFi CEO Anthony Noto believes in McIlroy and Woods.
“Where next-gen finance meets next-gen golf. With cutting-edge technology, we’re giving fans a front-row seat to celebrate the sport like never before,” Noto posted on social media on Tuesday. Clearly, Noto has an agenda to appeal to a younger clientele and he sees TGL as an avenue to do that.
Woods takes a similar approach, stating a couple of times on Tuesday night’s ESPN telecast that TGL is not traditional golf, but it’s showcasing golf.
All this make a lot of sense, but is golf the best way to make inroads to a younger demographic? Are other sports not only better but more interesting on television, to hold the interest of the audience?
The SoFi Center is part of the attraction for now, but will it maintain fans’ interest when novelty wears off? (TGL)
TGL is golf, and I have always maintained that golf is inherently boring. If not for the hospitality on site, it’s hard to understand why anyone would go to a golf tournament, with the exception of the majors and Ryder Cup.
The SoFi Center is a state-of-the-art facility that takes everything that technology can bring to golf and creates a heck of a show. But it’s not the Eiffel Tower or even Augusta National.
In other words, how long will its bells and whistles keep people’s attention?