TGL Night 3: We're Getting Somewhere

If you've been reading my reviews the past couple weeks, you'll know I am optimistic about the future of this league, ASSUMING The TGL allows themselves to make changes on the fly. Well, week 3 has shown this is the case, and better yet, they're not afraid to let the people know.

Last night's TGL feature pit the returning New York Golf Club (Rickie Fowler/Matt Fitzpatrick/Cam Young) against the debut boys from Georgia, the Atlanta Drive Golf Club (Justin Thomas/Patrick Cantlay/Billy Horschel). In the first low scoring match of the 2025 campaign, we saw Atlanta Drive GC still find a way to dominate - this time, by-way of stellar play from all three golfers.

As you may recall, people were questioning the technology last week in the Jupiter Links/LAGC match; shots were flying 20-30 yards further than the players were expecting, and not just long irons; wedges were carrying bunkers that were beyond the green, finding hazards and other trouble left, right, and center. For players of this caliber, they just don't do that over and over again. Remember the old PGA Tour saying? "These guys are good." It's not a lie, so why were guys missing by so much? The TGL spoke with the players and realized a flaw in the setup.

In the TGL, there are two zones: the screen zone and the green zone. Within the screen zone, there are two areas to play from, depending on your distance from the hole. Originally, tee shots and all shots over 130 yards or so were played from the further hitting area, giving the ball plenty of space to travel before colliding with the massive screen. Once players were within 130 yards and outside 45, they would move to the closer hitting area and play from there. I am assuming this was put in place due to higher ball flights and The TGL not wanting players to fly one over the screen - fair enough assumption, right? Well what the players noticed and conveyed to the producers was that on 70-100 yard shots, their depth perception was affected and it made hitting natural "feel shots" extremely difficult. The TGL took that to heart and has since moved all shots beyond 70 yards to the further hitting area. We got to see the result of this change on Night 3.

With a poised 4-0 victory for Atlanta Drive GC, we saw some of the best play yet in the new-format arena golf league. Thanks to the hitting area modification, players like Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, and Cameron Young were able to throw darts hole-after-hole as they're so used to doing in the real world. Several times throughout the match, teams were giving themselves realistic looks at birdie, and in Atlanta Drive's case, were converting. It's been since Week 1 with a few shots from Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, and Shane Lowry that we have seen precise iron shots find the putting surface and mimic real-life results.

With 5 birdies in the 15 hole match, Atlanta Drive GC showed why they're some of the best players in the world - a lineup composed of three players in the Top 20 of the OWGR, Thomas and Co. were hot in their first match on the big stage. As a team, they had 65ft.+ of putts made, got up and down from nearly everywhere, and had an 8-hole stretch where they didn't miss a green. This is the play we are expecting from the star-studded cast, and boy did it deliver last night.

This was the first match that made it to the singles session with anything on the line, and despite a good effort from NYGC keeping it close, a beautiful up and down from Patrick Cantlay on the par-3 12th hole closed the match out. The Dirty Birds (as Billy Horschel so lovingly named their squad) managed to tie the final three holes and complete the first shutout in TGL history. If I were to guess, we won't see too many shutouts in this league, strictly due to the strength of competition, so good for Atlanta Drive getting the job done and proving their strength early on.

Are there things I still think could be improved upon? Absolutely. The music still bugs me while players are hitting, the hammer was quite literally useless last night (not used once), and if I'm being honest, I'd be holding interviews for a new on-the-ground reporter to replace Marty Smith. BUT, the positives keep coming and the entertainment is there. JT and Billy were clearly leaning into the whole thing and having the time of their lives. We even got a few smiles and jabs out of PC as the match went on (of course, the good play helps). The pre-match interviews with SVP are getting better. He's found his niche, as we all knew he would, with his line of questioning and it's starting to feel like a real sporting event.

In just three weeks, TGL's responsiveness to player feedback has notably enhanced gameplay quality. Atlanta Drive GC's commanding 4-0 victory showcased top-tier performances, setting a promising precedent for the league. While minor improvements are still needed, the blend of high-caliber golf and engaging player interactions is solidifying TGL as a must-watch event. With the upcoming face-off between co-creators Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, the excitement continues to build. Stay tuned—this is just the beginning!