Just over a month into its existence, TGL is facing its biggest test yet.
The tech-infused golf league will feature a Presidents Day triple header Monday on ESPN, starting at 1 p.m. EST and ending at 9 p.m., followed by a fourth match in its frequent time slot, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday.
Four matches in 32 hours with all six teams. This will reveal what trajectory the league is on.
In its first few editions, TGL has gained some traction, despite mixed reviews.
4 matches, 4 lineups, 2 days.
— TGL (@TGL) February 15, 2025
We'll see you Monday + Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/Bp4u73HDoq
Its Jan. 7 premiere had roughly 919,000 viewers, but maybe that was a curiosity to see what the competition was all about. Tiger Woods’s debut in its second week pulled an audience of over a million. Week 3 dipped to 682,000 before climbing back up six days later to 864,000 for Rory McIlroy’s debut vs. Woods. But then another McIlroy-driven vehicle the following week averaged 544,000 viewers—its lowest yet.
For context, even TGL’s lowest rating was reportedly more than the final round of the PGA Tour’s first three events this year: the Sentry, Sony Open and American Express. But since the Tour returned to CBS, popular events like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and WM Phoenix Open have attracted 2 to 3 million consumers on Sundays.
TGL, though, is supposed to be additive to the golf ecosystem.
“This is unique,” Tiger Woods said after his first TGL match. “This is something that golf has never seen before. To have an arena like this and to be able to go out there with great guys, entertain everyone, just have fun.”
Now, several weeks into the TGL experiment, has the intrigue worn off? Or are people getting juiced up to see which teams make next month’s playoffs?
The league will be presented on a silver platter Monday: with a holiday eight-hour broadcast window as the sporting calendar is relatively empty. The NBA is off after its All-Star break and so is the NHL, though its 4 Nations Face-Off tournament will be in its final week, with Canada vs. Finland at 1 p.m. Monday and Sweden vs. the U.S. at 8 p.m. on TNT (the U.S. already clinched a spot in Thursday’s championship). Not the toughest competition for TGL, but also not the best lead-in.
People may be spending their holiday away from televisions, but three matches—featuring the inception of a new Hammer rule—will be long enough for most people to tune in for at least a little while.
Then, on Tuesday, Woods will tee it up in the wake of his mother’s death. The Big Cat always attracts eyeballs; however, will people be fatigued from Monday’s bloated action, or will TGL have momentum to ride into Tuesday?
Not to mention, there will be another three matches next week. In total, that’s 10 in 15 days.
Regardless, TGL—at least for now—is here to stay, considering the boatload of money invested.
It’s still a work in progress, but like any business venture, success is vital to staying afloat.
“This is not trying to compete with what we do on the [PGA] Tour,” Rickie Fowler said after the inaugural TGL match. “This is a supplement to the game, and hopefully it can open some people’s eyes to what’s possible. The biggest driver is how it does on TV and how people view it. The sky’s the limit with what you could do. This is just the start.’’
Optimism doesn’t hurt. But the ratings this week will be the biggest indicator yet of where this league is—and where it’s going.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why TGL’s Presidents Day Tripleheader Will Reveal the Trajectory of the League .
