The 2025 Open Championship served as a vibrant reminder of everything that makes golf great. Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland was buzzing with energy, its eighteen holes echoing with passionate cheers and intense anticipation. Amid the drama, Scottie Scheffler found himself cast in the role of spoiler. The crowd was clearly rooting for local hero Rory McIlroy, but Scheffler’s brilliance couldn’t be denied.
“It’s a very special walk. Walking up 18, I didn’t really know if I was going to get that much support from the crowd. The crowd, I think, wanted somebody else to win this week, and I kind of got to play spoiler a little bit, which was fun as well. It really was, it was a great reception,” Scheffler said, reflecting on the ovation he received as he approached the 18th green. “I heard a lot of the fans supporting me out there today. It was a really cool environment to be able to play in. You had a lot of guys out there supporting the local favourites, and you had some people from the States coming out and supporting us.”
Chris McKee, a Canadian golf reporter covering the event, echoed the sentiment that Portrush had captured the essence of golf. He believed the tournament’s setting, drama, and Scheffler’s performance all offered a powerful contrast to what he views as a misguided direction the sport is heading in, with the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-led TGL.
“After witnessing the purity and beauty of what golf has to offer this past week at The Open Championship at Portrush & Scottie’s performance for the ages, it really puts in perspective just how moronic the idea of the TGL simulator league really is,” McKee tweeted in a message that quickly went viral.
After witnessing the purity and beauty of what golf has to offer this past week at The Open Championship at Portrush & Scottie’s performance for the ages, it really puts in perspective just how moronic the idea of the TGL simulator league really is. pic.twitter.com/HW79lPrZqx
— Chris McKee (@mrmckee) July 20, 2025
TGL, short for “Tomorrow’s Golf League,” is a new, tech-driven concept backed by a $500 million investment. Held in a closed venue at the SoFi Center in Florida, it features simulator-based play, merging elements of esports, broadcasting innovation, and traditional golf into a made-for-TV spectacle.
Despite the hype and futuristic design, not everyone is convinced that TGL represents the right evolution for the sport. Golf writer Michael Bamberger captured the skeptical view: “It feels more like a show than a sport… Caring is really the whole point of all sports—to care about the outcome.”
And many fans seem to agree.
Fans see differences between TGL and traditional golf
Online, McKee’s remarks found immediate support. One fan replied, “Spot on,” while another added, “Couldn’t agree more.” While TGL is undeniably innovative in its use of simulators, ball-tracking tech, and controlled environments, it hasn’t been without hiccups.
One glaring issue surfaced during a matchup between the Los Angeles Golf Club and the Boston Common Golf Club. Tommy Fleetwood of LAGC had 167 yards to the simulated green and played a shot accordingly. However, the system failed to register the shot’s elevation correctly, rendering it flat. Fleetwood was visibly confused, as were spectators, and the Englishman was ultimately granted a mulligan.
“Exactly! Video games for pros…” one fan tweeted in reaction to the glitch. Another chimed in with blunt disapproval: “It is NOT golf. Not even close.”
It’s not just the tech that fuels the criticism. The tone and vibe of TGL can feel dramatically different from traditional tournaments. For instance, during one event, Kevin Kisner of Tiger Woods’s Jupiter Links Golf Club turned to Charlie Woods and invited him into the action. “You wanna come and play? Come sub in, man! Bring in the righty,” Kisner joked—a scene that would be almost unimaginable at The Open or the Masters.
These moments fuel the perception that TGL is more about entertainment than competition. One frustrated fan summed it up: “Absolute joke that rubbish, never watched one shot.” The numbers back this up, too. While TGL’s debut on ESPN2 averaged just over 280,000 viewers during its primetime slot, even mid-tier PGA Tour events — like the 2024 Valspar Championship — comfortably drew over 2 million viewers on CBS. Major tournaments like The Open regularly pull in over 7 million combined across platforms, underscoring just how far apart the audiences are, been with big names.
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