Welcome to Status Update — a free Friday newsletter featuring long and short stories, general ramblings from the week that was, the most interesting things to have recently caught my eye and any other golf-related nonsense I believe to be worth your time.
The Opening Drive
Next week’s edition of Status Update will be dedicated to all things Masters, so naturally that means this week’s will touch on all things simulator golf. You see, TGL wrapped up its inaugural season this past week as my Atlanta Drive took home the championship over those frauds from New York.
The final match had a eerily similar ending to the World Series. I don’t feel bad making the comparison since ESPN compared the environment at the SoFi Center to those at Stanley Cup finals and Saturday nights in Baton Rouge. Without a hint of sarcasm, mind you. I love it here.
With the season over, articles and think pieces about TGL’s success and future plans have started to roll out. There are some modifications I would like to see, but before we get there — if we ever do, not likely — the first part of that sentence needs to be revisited.
Because was TGL actually a “success” in Year No. 1?
It depends who you ask, doesn’t it?
For the players — yes, they got paid a ton of money. The winning team split up $9 million, all squads got some piece of the purse and that doesn’t even include the equity involved.
For those attached to the league tangentially — we touched on this already, but just about everyone is bumping elbows at the trough it seems — yes, they got paid with either money or access.
For the fans — it’s up in the air. Young kids seemed to love it. Golf nuts as well. The purists? Ehh, probably not so much. Between the media coverage and some of the claims made by those employed by the league, it gave off some major LIV Golf energy (LGE, for short).
For the investors — this is the interesting one. Alexis Ohanian took team ownership to David Tepper levels and more and more celebrities seem to get involved as the season went along. It’s the Ohanains, the Blanks and the Cohens of this little universe that I am talking about. Not necessarily the Kahans (who could use some good PR at this point because that Masters promo…WOOF).
The television numbers peaked, dipped and then clawed back a little. It seems to have plateaued at, let’s call it, an even 500,000. I think that’s fair.
TV numbers aside (I’m good not being involved in that sphere) everything has a sponsor attached to it. It’s not even TGL…it’s TGL presented by SoFi. The hammer, the recaps, the caddy technology — everything has some company paying for it. If you breathe in the arena, the league will find a way to monetize it.
I’ve been privy to some financial information of a team’s top line through some friends and the amount this specific team brought in is actually eye-opening. I can’t say how much here, so just text me for the deets.
Similar to the television figures, one has to wonder if these opportunities are at their peak. Will companies continue to shell out cash once the initial terms are satisfied? How does Tiger Woods (likely) not playing anymore affect this? How does TGL continue to drive enthusiasm to its product? Will people still care now that the initial shine has worn off?
I can only speak from my perspective, but I do think it’s an uphill battle for the league. I am the target audience after all — 20s, obsessed with golf, easily entertained — and despite forcing myself to try, I do not care about it outside of fulfilling my job obligations and firing off a tweet here and there.
There are more like me out there.
There are dozens of us!
Others may be starving for more and more golf content for whatever reason — need to fill airtime, need to fill downtime, need to fill bedtime, I don’t know — but between 14 leagues, the occasional exhibition and wanting to play more golf myself, I just can’t. I am plenty full as is.
Quote of the week
On Viktor Hovland’s Valspar Championship win: “It’s like he passed a test just guessing multiple choice answers.”
TGL is total flop. No one has interest or desire to watch indoor simulated golf shots. Mainstream golf media are bunch of hypocrites. PGA Tour radio is unlistenable when they talk TGL.
I watched a little bit of a match Monday when Rickie Fowler was putting and the graphic said the putt length was "8 feet 12 inches".
Game Set Match!