Billy Horschel is here at the TGL, representing his team Atlanta Drive for its league’s debut. So is the buzz! While he’s clearly pumped for it, the fans… not so much. Why you might ask? The answer lies in his entrance. NUCLR Golf shared a clip of Horschel entering the event, doing a “dirty bird” dance, just moments after pulling out a blingy neck chain.  It’s safe to say it didn’t go over well.

One fan was quick to ask, “How can this be taken seriously?” while another chimed in with, “Oh this hurts the legitimacy of this” Well, there’s some truth to both of those points. Sure, his entry might not scream “serious golf,” because we don’t see golfers entering like this on the course, but the entertainment value of TGL along with technology is what sets it apart. As for the legitimacy, there’s been a lot of back-and-forth about it. Some people are into it, while others worry that putting on a show might hurt the sport’s reputation. 

Horschel, however, already cleared things up, saying, “If the players are not entertaining and not engaging — if they’re not talking and dissecting stuff — we’re not going to be successful.” So, maybe what fans are criticizing is just part of Horschel’s strategy to keep things engaging. Still, the comments haven’t been kind. One fan called it “Cringe” and another went as far as to say, “Embarrassing golf! Even worse than LIV!” 

The comparisons to LIV Golf aren’t new. In fact, TGL has been accused of borrowing some ideas from LIV, with Youtuber Smylie Kaufman even pointing out, “TGL does music, they’re doing teams like they’re just… they’re copying the same concept. It’s like, sure, they’re definitely borrowing a lot of pages from what LIV has done.” But now, it seems like the accusations have taken a turn, as TGL is claimed to be “worse than LIV.” And someone really took a shot at the whole thing, saying,  “This “golf league” is gonna set golf back, sad.” Ouch.

But on Horschel’s side, it looks like he’s finally finding his rhythm after a rough start to the season. And as for his dance, it’s probably just part of his excitement about getting back on track.

Billy Horschel’s game is finally getting momentum

Billy Horschel started his season with a 51st-place finish at The Sentry. Not exactly where he wanted to be. Then came the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he missed the cut. But lately, there’s been some real progress, especially after his T21 finish at the American Express, which has given fans hope.

Horschel shared his thoughts on his game’s progress, especially after struggling with his putting at the start of the season. “First 3 tournaments of my @pgatour season are done. Nothing special to run home and tell my mom about in the results department but like where my game is and heading. After 2 of my worst weeks putting, it was nice to feel comfortable with the putter and see a few go in.” 

Last year, Horschel had a solid season with 1 win, 1 runner-up finish, and 7 top-10s in 23 events. So it looks like he might be close to finally finding that rhythm again. He’ll take a little break from the PGA Tour Circuit and won’t play in the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, but he’ll be back to compete at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am starting January 30.

Does it look like Horschel’s ready to make his mark in 2025? What do you think?