In TGL’s debut, this sensible guidelines twist made the entire thing work

Phew.

That was one thing, proper?

Nonetheless you felt in regards to the TGL’s debut match on the blinged-out SoFi Middle in West Palm Seaside, Fla., Tuesday night, you possible had…ideas.

Possibly you rolled your eyes on the voluminous WWE-grade pre-match introductions (“make some noise for Matt Fitz-PAAAA-trick!!!), which had been adopted by Dad-bod golfers humbly strolling into the sector in crisp white pants and polos.

Or perhaps you had been awed by the tens of tens of millions of {dollars}’ value of TGL expertise lastly seeing some aggressive reps: the six-story-tall simulator display; the wondrous rotating inexperienced with almost 600 hydraulic jacks beneath its floor; the jumbo touch-screen yardage “e-book” over which teammates may strategize pictures and membership choices.

Possibly you cringed on the Lambo-fast downhill putts that appeared higher suited to miniature golf than the skilled selection. Or perhaps you dug the number of outrageous gap designs — Serpent! Oh Chute! Choose Yer Plunder! — that had been a great distance from something you’ll discover at TPC Craig Ranch.

Possibly you could possibly have completed with out DJ Khaled’s interminably lengthy cameo. Or perhaps you appreciated ESPN’s repeated cuts to the crew house owners, peering down on their topics like rich Romans ogling gladiators within the Colosseum.

Possibly you’re satisfied TGL is all the things that’s unsuitable with skilled golf in 2024. Or perhaps this courageous new league fills you with hope and enthusiasm for what’s doable within the evolution of the so-called historical sport.

However allow us to put all that apart for a fast second to have a good time the one factor that seemingly each participant, ticket-holder, viewer, reporter, tweeter, canine, cat and goldfish rallied behind: TGL’s gloriously swift tempo of play. Maintaining play shifting was important not solely to maintain the viewers engaged but in addition to squeeze a 15-hole match right into a two-hour broadcast window, a mission TGL completed by not simply encouraging speedy play however mandating it.

Should you had been watching the printed, you absolutely famous the rule: Gamers had been allotted not more than 40 seconds to play a shot, a quantity derived from the USGA’s pace-of-play suggestion for conventional golf however one that is also routinely ignored within the higher echelons of professional golf, largely as a result of gradual play will not be tightly policed.

At TGL, although, Hold it Shifting or Else is a commandment that’s etched in stone. The specifics are proper there within the official guidelines, which state that “every participant could have 40 seconds to hit their shot, or their crew will obtain a shot clock violation and a one-stroke penalty.”   

Implementing the timing guidelines is TGL’s resident referee and a man who is aware of a little bit one thing about shot clocks: former NBA ref Derrick Stafford. He has some assist, too, by the use of two can’t-miss-’em digital timers that flank both aspect of the sim display. Ought to the gamers want one other reminder about their dwindling time, they obtain it when the clock hits the 15-second mark within the type of a heartbeat sound that pulses by the sector.

Corny? Heck, no. It’s sensible. When one participant walked off the tee, the following participant was already fast-walking towards the tee field, yardage computed, membership in hand. It was golf meets F1, and golf followers on social media lapped it up. Taking part in indoors (no wind!) and off excellent lies actually makes membership choice simpler and quicker, however nonetheless, in spots you could possibly sense the fellows would have favored to take just a few extra moments to evaluate their pictures, particularly on the greens. Skilled golfers prefer to be on management of all the things. They transfer at their very own tempo and pull the set off solely when totally dedicated. The shot clock can and can disrupt that sequencing — for some gamers, anyway.

Should you take the TGL gamers from opening evening at their phrase, although, none of them meet that description. Repping the Bay GC had been Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Åberg who throttled their opponents, New York GC’s Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick, 9-2. Requested in regards to the shot clock afterward, each participant to a person praised it, with Fitzpatrick going as far to say, “I want that was [in] actual golf.”

Lowry admitted that in his Monday observe session, the clock did take some getting used to — “couldn’t imagine how rapidly all the things occurs,” he mentioned — however added that different groups usually tend to wrestle with the time stress than his squad will.

“Our crew will not be going to have any bother with that,” he mentioned. “We’re three of the faster gamers on the market.”

Certainly, at no level Tuesday did both crew seem careworn by their 40-second stricture. Conversely, they appeared to embrace the tempo, and maybe had been even liberated by it.  

Towards the tip of their post-match press convention, the New York crew was requested if there’s a TGL rule that may make sense to use to conventional golf.

Fitzpatrick and Fowler wanted all of about half a second earlier than they uttered the identical two-word response in concord: “Shot clock.”

However Fitzpatrick wasn’t completed.

He leaned again into his mic and mentioned, “No query.”