The failure of The Showdown to draw in viewers is a significant concern for the golf world. Despite the hype surrounding the event, which featured a rare crossover between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the match failed to live up to expectations. The PGA Tour duo of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy comfortably swept all three sessions, leaving fans who were hoping for a closer contest feeling disappointed. To make matters worse, the event’s viewership numbers were underwhelming, with only 625,000 viewers tuning in across TNT and TBS.

In the latest episode of Fore Play Podcast, Billy Horschel highlighted one flaw behind The Showdown’s failure that could transcend to TGL, “Players need to be entertainers… we need to be different than what we are out at a PGA Tour event inside the ropes.” Horschel emphasized that while competitive golf is essential, players also need to bring an entertainment factor to the table. He noted that some players, like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, have shown glimpses of their entertaining side, but it’s not enough.

As Horschel put it, “I think the thing that I miss the most is like, you know, we’ve played together… and when I’m playing with other guys at home, like I played yesterday with Austin Greaser… there’s a lot of stuff going on that’s just not translating to TV.” Horschel’s comments suggest that players need to find ways to bring their personalities and camaraderie to the forefront, making the game more entertaining for viewers. The viewership numbers for The Showdown are a clear indication that something needs to change. As Josh Carpenter from Sports Business Journal noted, the event’s 625,000 viewers across two networks is the second-lowest total ever in The Match series.

This is a far cry from the 5.8 million viewers who tuned in for The Match: Champions for Charity in 2020. To turn things around, the golf world needs to take a closer look at what’s working and what’s not. As Horschel said, “We need to play competitive golf and we need to be great in that aspect, but we need to be entertainers.” By focusing on entertainment and personality, the golf world may be able to attract a new generation of fans and boost viewership numbers. Well, this isn’t the first time Horchel has spoken up in TGL’s favor.

Billy Horschel finds TGL to be ‘unreal’

Earlier this month, American professional golfer Billy Horschel got a sneak peek at the SoFi Center, the state-of-the-art venue set to host the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-led TGL (The Golf League). As he walked through the facility, Horschel was blown away by its sheer magnitude. “This is unreal, I mean this is unreal,” he exclaimed in a video shared on social media. His reaction is a testament to the excitement building around TGL, which is all set to debut on January 7th.

The inaugural season of TGL will feature six teams, each comprising four top golfers, competing in a unique indoor format. The teams will face off in a specially designed simulator, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. With a star-studded lineup, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas, TGL promises to bring a fresh and exciting twist to the world of golf. The first match on January 7th will be played between New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club and will be broadcast on ESPN. So are you excited? Let us know in the comment section below!