After Rickie Fowler’s Reckless Words, PGA Tour Pro Scrambles to Save TGL’s Reputation 14 Days Before Launch

So remember how Rickie Fowler recently said that TGL, the innovative new golf league, isn’t “real golf”? With less than a month remaining for the tech-infused league to officially take off at SoFi Stadium (Florida), the six-time PGA Tour winner gave his unsolicited yet insider’s opinion on having to adjust to the idea: “In a way, we don’t fully know what to expect until it gets going. It’s not real golf, but it’s not hitting balls in your bedroom simulator; it’s somewhere kind of in-between.” Was there real damage done to dampen the well-orchestrated hype after all this time? It certainly looks like it considering Rory Mcllroy had to front some defense out there.

Mcllroy didn’t just play those concerns down, he did some solid damage control when he opened his case: “The playing surfaces are very realistic because they are real,” the four-time major champion explained. “We’re playing off real Bermuda grass for the fairways, real Bermuda rough, if you do hit into the rough.” One aspect that he did clarify was that the greens inside the stadium are artificial, more specifically once you get within 40 yards of the green. He also added, “But I still feel like the ball reacts very realistically on the green… We made the decision to go with artificial for the green because we want to make it interesting.”

At such a time, on contrary to Fowler, Billy Horschel, an 8-time PGA Tour pro, has now taken the stage to air his first impressions of TGL. In the latest YouTube video by Fore Play Podcast, Horschel recalled his initial reaction to TGL’s futuristic setup. He walked into the arena and was immediately blown away by the sheer scale of the thing. “I was speechless,” he admitted. “I mean, I was really was… the size of it, the screen and everything.” He likened the experience to walking into a major sports arena, like Mercedes-Benz Stadium or Fenway Park. You can almost picture him walking out onto the “course”, looking around in awe at the giant screens and video boards. It’s a pretty cool image, and it’s easy to see why Horschel was so impressed.

For Horschel, TGL’s grandeur is a key part of its appeal. He loved the energy of the place, the way the lights and music seemed to amp up the excitement. “You see this five-story screen, you see the video boards around you, you see your name, you see all the lights and everything going crazy… it’s pretty cool,” he exclaimed. As he reflected on the experience, Horschel noted that TGL’s scale is reminiscent of what NBA stars like Stephen Curry must feel like when they take the court.

“It’s similar to what these other athletes and sports feel like when you’re walking into this arena,” he said. It’s a fascinating perspective, and it’s clear that Horschel is excited to see where TGL goes from here.