4 things TGL can improve upon in Year Two

With the TGL Championship match here, it’s time to call for some changes to improve the overall product in year two.

TGL’s championship match begins Monday night as Atlanta will square off against New York at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

It’s a best-of-three series, with the second match scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

The rubber match, should it get there, would take place on Tuesday evening as well, immediately after the conclusion of the second match.

The first match will feature Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas, and Patrick Cantlay representing Atlanta Drive, while Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, and Cameron Young will don the navy and white of New York Golf Club. These two teams played each other once before, on Jan. 21, in the third match of TGL’s inaugural season. It was also a sleeper, as Atlanta defeated New York with ease, 4-to-0.

But before the battle for the SoFi Cup gets underway, we wanted to offer four suggestions on improving TGL overall.

4. More twists and turns akin to The Hammer

The Hammer has been a fun little twist during TGL’s inaugural season.

If you are unaware of how this works, here is how it goes:

Whichever team has the Hammer can throw it down on any hole. When it’s thrown down and accepted by the opposing team, the point total of the hole increases by one. Holes count for one point, similar to match play, whereas the Hammer increases a hole’s value to two points.

There is a caveat to this though. The opposition must accept the Hammer if a team throws it before a tee shot is played. However, if the Hammer is thrown after the hole is underway, the other team can reject it. But if that team does deny it, they forfeit the hole.

So far, the Hammer has been quite successful — so much so that TGL implemented a rule change midway through the season. On Feb. 14, TGL announced that each team would have three hammers going forward instead of the previous one. This increased a given match’s volatility while giving each hole a little extra juice.

We want to see more twists and turns like this in Year Two.

What those are? Who knows. But the Hammer is a fun concept that is distinctive to TGL. Maybe there is a new addition next year in which a player loses a turn. Or someone has to hit a shot left-handed. Whatever it may be, the league should toss in more twists and turns. It is a made-for-TV product, after all.

3. More teams, including LPGA stars

TGL has publicly stated that it will expand beyond its six teams, but who will be included and how many will join remains a mystery.

A ‘Texas Wedges’ team of Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, and Doug Ghim could be a fun addition. Golf fans would welcome the opportunity to see the World No. 1 and perhaps the most entertaining player on the planet, Spieth, tee it up at the SoFi Center.

But TGL should invite LPGA stars to join, too.

Maybe every team has an LPGA player, such as Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, or Lydia Ko. Or, perhaps an up-and-coming star, like Jeeno Thitikul or Rose Zhang, could enter the fold. Other solid options could be Australian Hannah Green and Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, both of whom have won significant events over the past couple of years.

Or does TGL establish an all-LPGA team to compete against the men? That could be fun. Granted, TGL would have to incorporate a different set of tees for the ladies since they do not have the same club carry that the men do. But given how advanced the technology at the SoFi Center is, that should not be an issue.

2. Shortern match times

We have called for this before, but it’s worth repeating: TGL matches do not need two hours to complete. Sure, part of the deal is selling advertising revenue and building up enough of a commercial load to offset costs and ultimately turn a profit. But a 90-minute match is more than sufficient instead of the current 120 minutes.

Eliminate the prolonged entrances, which often take 10 minutes. We also do not need a halftime, either. Halftimes do not exist in golf and should not be a part of TGL either.

The biggest allure to TGL is its pace of play. It moves fast. It moves swiftly. A 40-second shot clock keeps things moving, and the match itself should follow that motif too.

Plus, with 90-minute matches, you can stack doubleheaders like an In-N-Out Double-Double. The first match begins at 7 p.m. and the next starts at 9 p.m. Those 30 minutes in between can be used for a warmup period, interviews, and other features that a halftime report may include.

Keep things moving. It’s what golf fans want.

1. The season ends sooner

Once the PGA Tour descends upon the Sunshine State in early February and late March, everyone’s focus begins to shift to Augusta National. Who is trending in the right direction? What dark horse can win the Green Jacket? Can Rory McIlroy finally win and, therefore, become the seventh player to win the career Grand Slam?

The Players also takes place during March, as TPC Sawgrass is the perfect appetizer for The Masters. It’s a terrific setting with the best finish in golf, a course that separates the haves from the have-nots, especially over the last few years. Sawgrass requires pinpoint accuracy from tee to green, exquisite ball striking, and a creative short game, not unlike Augusta.

This is all to say that the golfing world is not focused on TGL at this point on the calendar. Major championship season is beginning to take shape, and the best players want to focus their time and efforts on practicing and preparing for Augusta and the subsequent majors to come. Golf fans have their eyes locked on them too.

Therefore, we propose that the second TGL season begins in late November or early December. Most TGL players live in South Florida anyway, so commuting to the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens should be a breeze. Plus, with ESPN having rights to Monday Night Football, TGL could find a permanent spot on Tuesday evening on ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports.’ A consistent time slot and dedicated night of the week would also help this new league. ESPN could promote TGL on its Monday Night Football telecasts while ushering in a new TGL season well before Christmas.

Then, TGL should wrap up its postseason the week after the Genesis Invitational. Maybe that includes playoff matches on Presidents Day, a holiday that included some regular season matches this year. But whatever the specifics, TGL should end its season well before The Players, at a minimum.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.