1 member of a most important group opinions TGL

On the eve of TGL’s starting, our begin stuttered. 

Me, through textual content: “You continue to good to assist? Shall be enjoyable.” 

Him: “Yep what am i supposed to look at it on” 

Me: “ESPN” 

Him: “how do i get that”

Good query. 

In fact, there have been others Monday, when the star-fronted, star-backed, Star Wars-like golf-in-an-arena league teed off. What would the play of Tiger and buddies be like? Would it not be crisp? What would the simulator be like? Would it not be actual? What would the rotating inexperienced be like? Would it not be pure? What concerning the followers? And the vibe? And the published? On and on and on. And pundits far and broad, together with up and down your Twitter scroll, have opined, together with on this web site, and you’ll peruse our splendidly written dispatches right here and right here and right here and right here. They’re glorious distillations of the motion. 

However must you need to decide whether or not this factor will really birdie or bogey, the supply it is best to examine is a member of the viewers TGL is sincerely attempting to lasso. 

Somebody younger. 

Like a teen. Like a 20-something. People who eat golf content material simply as a lot as anybody else, however in an entire host of newfangled methods. This group won’t watch 2 seconds of, say, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Golf Channel, however they may tune in for TGL for two hours on ESPN, if executed effectively. 

In fact, that’s if they will discover the channel, which, as I realized, was really unsurprising. 

The back-and-forth on the high of this text was with my 16-year-old nephew, Mason. He’s been on this area earlier than. I’m naturally a fan of his. And he’s a fan of golf. Whereas seeing him over the vacations, we performed in some method 9 (9) instances — in frigid Wisconsin. He’s precisely whom TGL craves, so he agreed to look at the published and speak with me afterward, and that dialog is beneath. Notably, regardless of quite a lot of hype, he knew solely the final idea about what he was going to view.  

Nor was he itching with anticipation.

Mason, through textual content, at 8:52 p.m. ET, 8 minutes earlier than the beginning: “i’m not residence proper now i’ll be residence in a minute.” 

Me: “It begins in 5 minutes!”

Mason: “8 and that i’ll be residence” 

Me: “Hurry!”

Two hours later, I referred to as him. The components the place I converse are in italics. 

The quick takeaways — ‘Rickie was sort of bizarre’ 

“Whats up,” Mason murmurs. 

Thanks for watching. You prepared?

“Mmhmm.” 

All proper, the primary query is basically, actually primary. 

“OK.”

And be at liberty to speak so long as you need. 

“Mmhmm.”

However what did you suppose? 

“Um, I don’t know, I believe you overhyped it a bit bit. [More on this later.] I imply, effectively, I favored it. It was actually quick at first, and I assume a bit bit extra enjoyable at first after which it sort of slowed down. However I don’t know, I assume I used to be — like, I favored it rather a lot, however I don’t know. I believe I used to be anticipating a bit extra. And the mics had been — they talked concerning the mics being a giant a part of it, after which they solely talked concerning the sizzling mics and so they solely confirmed them a few instances. However I nonetheless favored it.”

What did you want greatest? 

“I favored that inexperienced. And that they might give one another putts and it will be like when you’re out scrambling with your pals or one thing, such as you simply give them a putt. I like that.”

What did you just like the least?

“Um, I don’t know. I assume how sluggish it went. However I don’t know the best way to discuss that.”

Am I proper in saying that each one the brand new stuff at first made it appear quick after which later, simply since you bought used to the way it seemed, it bought down to simply golf? Is that kinda proper?

“I imply, yeah. I believe folks bought used to it and they might preserve attempting to place it in your face all of the stuff that they had been utilizing, and it simply sort of dulled out a bit bit.” 

What was the funniest half?

“Um, I don’t know. I assume when Xander [Schauffele] needed to chip twice. He chipped from the inexperienced and he chunked it to the opposite facet after which he like duffed it once more.”

What was the weirdest half?

“Um, I don’t know. It’s not likely an element, however I seen that Rickie was sort of bizarre. I’m not calling him bizarre, however the entire time he sort of appeared off. Everybody else was making jokes and stuff after which Rickie was sort of like in his personal world, I assume. He talked a bit bit, however each time somebody would speak to him or one thing, he would simply give a one-word response. However I don’t actually know what else was bizarre.”

What was essentially the most skibidi (fellow olds, please look this up)?

“OK.”

Needed to do it. 

“That higher not go on the web site, I’m severe.”

The motion — ‘Of all of the folks they interviewed, I believed it was bizarre’

On a scale of 1-10, how did you just like the golf half alone?

“I imply, I don’t know, I at all times like watching professionals play as a result of each shot goes straight when they need it to. So like an 8 or 9.”

On a scale of 1-10, how did you want the entire simulator a part of it?

“That half was sick. I need to play it. Like a ten.”

That truly goes into my subsequent query. I’m questioning while you had been watching it, had been you perhaps extra enthusiastic about eager to play it sooner or later, or had been you extra to see how the professionals would do?

“I don’t actually care how they do. I simply thought that this was sick. I imply, Xander’s one in all my favorites; I like him. I like Rickie. I imply, that was cool watching them, however, I don’t know, I believe the entire area, that was fairly cool.” 

On a scale of 1-10, how did you just like the presentation, that means the published and the graphics and stuff like that?

“I don’t know. There was just one digital camera form of at the beginning the place the gamers seemed dangerous, however apart from that, I believe it was actually good. The intermissions had been actually sluggish and it sort of introduced away from it. However I favored how they introduced up Tiger and Rory [McIlroy] and so they interviewed them. DJ Khaled, which was surprising. I believed it went fairly effectively.”

What did you consider DJ Khaled?

“That was sort of bizarre. I don’t actually know. Of all of the folks they interviewed, I believed it was bizarre.”

On a scale of 1-10, what did you consider the banter, the forwards and backwards between the gamers? 

“Um, there wasn’t as a lot as I anticipated. I believed there’d be extra. However it was fairly cool. Just like the timeout that they took to ice Xander. I believed there could be a bit extra, however it was enjoyable.”

Viewing habits — ‘I don’t watch simply uncooked on cable’

What do you know about this going into at the moment?

“I knew that there have been a bunch of professionals divided up into groups that had been going to play on a simulator and a giant, rotating inexperienced.”

That was about it, proper?

“Yeah.”

Have been any of your pals speaking about this?

“I imply, no. There was a bit on TikTok and stuff about how there was like a bunker and you’d hit into a giant display that’s like 100 instances the dimensions as an everyday one. However I didn’t actually know anything.”

I hate to know this reply, however did you learn any of the GOLF Journal tales about this?

“No.” 

Hmm, that’s OK. How does this evaluate to the golf that you simply usually watch, just like the Grant Horvat stuff, the Good Good guys, the Fore Play guys? (He notably has a Fore Play headcover.)

“Clearly it’s a bit extra skilled and stuff. Clearly they’re higher. Whenever you’re watching a YouTube video, they’re all buddies and there isn’t as a lot on the road. To me, the mics and the recent mics and a number of the stuff appeared a bit bit not pressured, however I don’t know if it was all pure. The YouTube stuff, I’m not saying it’s 100% uncooked, however it’s a bit extra relaxed, I assume, and so they’re simply on the market filming and capturing. And that is broadcast on tv and there’s an area and stuff like that.”

Is that the most important attraction to you for just like the Good Good guys and the Fore Play guys and Grant Horvat?

“I believe Good Good and Grant, they’re all youthful, and I don’t learn about the remainder of the folks that watch them which might be my age, however after I’m older, clearly I’m not going to be a golf content material creator, however I wish to be the identical ability degree as them. I believe the attraction is that they’re younger and doing what they need and so they’re good at what they do.”

Do you suppose after watching TGL tonight, you’d need to watch extra professional golf on NBC or CBS or Golf Channel?

“Um, I don’t know. I’m not a fan of the commercials and stuff, however yeah, in all probability.”

Do you watch any professional golf?

“Yeah, a bit bit, however not on like cable.”

Yeah, that’s a very good level. The place do you watch it then?

“Like clips or reruns. On YouTube, you will discover all of Scottie Scheffler’s pictures when he gained the Masters, or you will discover all of Hideki’s pictures. [Hideki Matsuyama.] I like watching that. That’s normally what I watch. I don’t watch simply uncooked on cable.”

What would it not take so that you can watch conventional tv golf, or is that simply not attainable? You identical to watching a number of highlights like that?

“I imply, no, there’s nothing — it’s simply sitting in the lounge versus sitting in my room. There’s nothing stopping me from watching it; it simply doesn’t come into my thoughts like, let me go into reside tv and placed on the Golf Channel.”

If I hadn’t requested you to look at this tonight, would you may have watched it?

“I imply, I knew that it was happening. I didn’t know when. If I didn’t watch it tonight, I in all probability would’ve watched one thing about it one other night time.”

Be utterly sincere, are you going to look at it once more?

“Um, yeah.”

You severe?

“Yeah, I believe I’ll.”

Would you watch it two months from now?

“Possibly. Relies upon who’s enjoying in it.”

Questions for me

What questions do you may have for me?

“Did you prefer it?”

I did. I believed it was completely different and fast-paced at the beginning. For me, there was quite a lot of attempting to determine what this all was in a short time after which the golf itself was very quick, so I believed that was very enjoyable to look at. However then as soon as it bought into it, it was golf golf once more. I believe it’s an addition to the panorama, however I don’t know if it wholly differentiates itself. However it was golf in January. You talked about you want to look at professional golf since you like to look at nice pictures. Like, I don’t know if that performs out in simulators as a lot. Additionally they say, when you take a look at different leagues which have simply began, you gained’t actually know for like 15, 20 years if that is going to work. It’s a course of. That mentioned, consideration spans are so low, does it final greater than two years? To carve out an area when there are soooo many choices would be the trick. And when children your age are going elsewhere to get their content material, I don’t know. What else you bought?

“What did you suppose was the funniest half?”

What did I believe was the funniest half? Hmm. I laughed when Shane Lowry mentioned he needs to be the Scottie Scheffler of indoor golf.

“Oh, yeah.”

That was good. What else?

“Are you able to lose to me the subsequent time you play me?”

Oh, I see. [Editor’s note: He’s NEVER won, though the author is afraid the day is fast approaching.] I don’t know if I can put that into a broadcast story. Arduous to say. I bought a query for you: Have you ever listened to any of Nelly Korda’s suggestions? [Editor’s note: Last November, at the CME Group Tour Championship, I asked Korda for a tip for Mason to help him break 80 consistently.]

“Um, yeah, I take advantage of an alignment stick each time now.”

All proper, final query. In spite of everything that we talked about right here, on a scale of 1-10, what’s your quantity for what you noticed tonight?

“Possibly a six and a half.”

That’s first rate. Inform me why. 

“I believe you overhyped it a bit bit. [Editor’s note: Thinking about this a day later, I realized I’ve never asked him to watch golf like this before, so I understand what he’s saying here.]”

I don’t know. The primary level of that is, you’re the viewers they’re attempting to get. I imply, they form of care about me, however I’m going to look at golf regardless, as a result of it’s my job. I’m actually curious to know what you thought. 

“I imply, I favored it, however I believe it bought repetitive. OK, these guys are professionals, and it’s like, it’s a par-5, they’re going to hit the golf green, lay up, go to the inexperienced and two-putt, or they’re going to rise up and down, and so they’re going to be like, wow, good shot. After which I don’t know. It was that each gap. I’m not asking for them to shank the ball or kill somebody within the crowd or cranium it over the inexperienced. Then it’s like, OK, let’s go to the massive, rotating inexperienced, and, oh, by the best way, there’s 600 bolts or no matter underneath this inexperienced — they mentioned that rather a lot, and I used to be like, OK. 

Would it not be extra enjoyable for you if every one of many groups had one of many Fore Play guys on it or one thing like that?

“Oh, yeah, I believe if they’d — particularly in alternate shot — they’d one man who was dangerous. Not even from Fore Play. In the event that they introduced in some random man from the gang that’s like an 8-handicap, I believe that may be good.”

All proper, this was enjoyable. Thanks for doing it. Slightly nervous you weren’t going to look at. 

“Yeah, I discovered it.”

When’s the final time you used a channel information and watched cable?

“Um, after I was — like 4 years in the past.”

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