The virtual golfing league, TGL, is gearing up for its playoffs amidst declining ratings and a lack of star power. The founders of the league, golfing greats Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, failed to make the cut after a season of subpar performances. Woods’ team, Jupiter Links, however, left an indelible mark on the inaugural TGL season, with a few memorable highlights.
In the season finale, Tiger Woods and his teammate Tom Kim shared a moment that quickly gained traction on social media. The conversation revolved around the stark age gap between the two, with Woods casually reminding his younger teammate of his illustrious career.
Asking Kim about his birth year, Woods adeptly turned the dialogue into a reminder of his dominance in the sport. Kim, born in 2002, remembered that Woods had clinched a Masters title that year. Woods, in a playful retort, pointed out that he had already secured three Masters victories (’97, ’01, ’02) by the time Kim was born.
The timing of Kim’s birth, which took place in June 2002, means that Woods’ third Masters title was already in his trophy cabinet when Kim came into the world. Further emphasizing Woods’ achievements, Kim was born just after Woods’ 2002 US Open victory at Bethpage Black on Long Island. Consequently, by the time of Kim’s birth, Woods had already bagged eight major titles, a record among active players.
Kim himself became the talk of the town during the TGL finale against Atlanta Drive GC. He prematurely celebrated what he thought was a successful chip-in to win the eighth hole, but a severe lip-out left him red-faced. This incident drew comparisons to the infamous Lakers meme icon, Nick “Swaggy P” Young.
For Jupiter Links, the TGL season was a bitter pill to swallow, managing only a single victory in the five-match regular season. Given that neither Woods nor Kevin Kisner are active full-time PGA Tour players, the odds were stacked against them from the get-go. The rough inaugural season in the metaverse was a reflection of these challenges.
With neither of its founders, Woods or McIlroy, making it to the playoffs, TGL faces a formidable task of generating interest in its product for the final stretch. With ratings on the decline and a dearth of star players, the league will need to leverage the inherent drama of the sport to retain and attract viewers.