Tiger Woods told brutal TGL truth by ex-coach as TV ratings continue to fall
TGL has been a hit with fans since it began last month, but TV ratings have gradually declined in recent weeks - with Hank Haney having his say on the new golf league
Tiger Woods’ former coach Hank Haney remains optimistic about TGL’s progress – but he admits not everyone likes it.
Initially attracting high numbers, TGL has since seen a decrease, with this week witnessing some of the smallest audiences to date. On Monday, a matchup between New York Golf Club and Los Angeles Golf Club pulled in just 263,000 viewers, while a later game between Boston Common and Atlanta Drive managed a slight increase to 297,000, as reported by Sports Business Journal.
Despite the disappointing figures compared to earlier weeks, these games became the most-watched programmes on ESPN2 for that day. Following this, Woods’ own Jupiter Links GC competed without him against The Bay Golf Club, where ratings rose to 384,000 according to Nielsen data, although it marked the lowest primetime figure for them on ESPN so far.
While the buzz around the novel league may be fading somewhat, Haney expressed his satisfaction, saying: “I like TGL and I think it’s gotten better every week but it’s clear other people don’t share my opinion. Any golf at night is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.”
TGL hoping for bigger TV audiences
With the league being just over a month old, anticipation is expected to pick up as the playoff phase nears. TGL bosses have faced a few initial hiccups, both with the technology and the format, leading to changes in the ‘Hammer’ rule just a few weeks into the inaugural season. Despite some doubts, TGL boasts an impressive lineup.
The inclusion of Woods and Rory McIlroy only enhances its appeal, with the former praising the simulator setup after his debut last month. “This is unique. This is something that golf has never seen before,” he said. “To have an arena like this and to be able to go out there with great guys, entertain everyone, just have fun.”
After his first performance in January, McIlroy spoke candidly about the massive interest he had received from golf fans regarding the new league. “Yeah, honestly, I can’t go anywhere without someone mentioning TGL to me, which is really cool,” he revealed.
“Everyone is coming up and saying congrats on TGL, watch it, enjoy it. That’s really cool. It’s cool that the local community has embraced it, and look, the local community here is just filled with golfers, so hopefully you would expect that. I think it’s been really cool to hear that a younger demographic, it’s sort of resonated with them. That’s a really cool thing.”
