Shane Lowry prepares to take a shot in his TGL debut with the shot clock in front of him.
Mike Ehrmann/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images
The the second-ever TGL match will start on Tuesday eveningJan. 14 at the SoFi Center, where Tiger Woods will take center stage for the first time with his Jupiter Links golf club. For the second week in a row, TGL’s most popular innovation will be presented. We are talking about, of course shot clock.
But what exactly is the TGL shot clock and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know a unique change of pace in the game of golf.
How the shot clock works in TGL
Creating a new indoor league out of thin air, the TGL mastermind of Woods and Rory McIlroy had a decision to make which elements of the traditional game of golf should be retainedand which to throw to the curb.
One of the complaints about professional golf is that the game is slow, and the league knew it had to keep the action fast to keep viewers engaged. But what if they could not only maintain a fast pace, but also entertain viewers?
In TGL’s debut, this brilliant twist on the rules made everything work
Alan Bastable
Enter the shot clock.
If you watch a TGL game or look at the photo at the top of this page, you will see two large shot clocks on the main video board, clearly visible to both players and fans. Additional digital shot clocks are located elsewhere in the SoFi Center.
The shot clock starts at 40 seconds, meaning players have 40 seconds to make each shot. That, remember, is the same amount of time that pros have to take a shot on the PGA Tour. However, without shot clocks on Tour, players regularly far exceed their allotted 40 seconds in Tour events, often without penalty.
It is no different in the case of TGL. TGL shot clocks allow everyone to keep track of the pace of the game. Additionally, when the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, the sound of a heartbeat will reverberate loudly throughout the arena with each additional second that passes, adding extra pressure for players and extra fun for fans.
This also allows for increased fan response. Several times during TGL’s debut match, fans began berating players as the shot clock began to drop to zero, which is another thing you won’t see at Tour events.
Shot clocks are unlikely to appear on major golf courses any time soon, but they can be seen in action again on Tuesday night during the second TGL match, which begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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