Remember, the 2023 RBC Heritage Open. The winner Matt Fitzpatrick had called out slow play in brutal fashion. “It’s a disgrace… it’s truly appalling… It’s like hitting your head against a brick wall,” the Brit golfer expressed his disdain. And it was clear who he was calling out. Fellow PGA Tour pro Patrick Cantlay. Now, two years down the line, the duo faced each other at the finals of the inaugural TGL finale, where Cantlay’s Atlanta Drive took on Fitzpatrick’s New York Golf Club.

The TGL Finale proved to be quite anticlimactic. The Atlanta Drive GC clinched the best of three series in two games, showcasing good grit and composure in the second match to edge out Xander Schauffele and the New York Golf Club with a thrilling 4-3 scoreline. It was a come-from-behind victory for Justin Thomas’s side, who were trailing 3-0 after eleven holes. Cantlay and Thomas won the 12th and 13th holes, respectively. Horschel, under the hammer, came up clutch to allow the Drive to inherit an unassailable lead at the 14th hole, which led them to the title.

Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show after the loss, Schauffele was asked by the host about a tricky situation. Atlanta Drive’s Patrick Cantlay’s pace of play in the indoor arena. Schauffele dodged the Cantlay question efficiently, stating loud and clear that the pace was not a problem for anyone in the league. “I don’t think anyone has struggled with the clock to be honest.” Cantlay was previously teammates with Schauffele at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2023, which the duo won.

Slow play has been a very persistent problem with Patrick Cantlay. His infamous snail-like pace at the 2023 Masters Tournament had seared in reputation, not helped by a similar showing at the 2023 RBC Heritage Open. Brooks Koepka had indirectly called him out at Augusta National by referring to the group ahead of him as ‘incredibly slow.’ Cantlay was part of the group. At the RBC Heritage, it was Matt Fitzpatrick who had problems with Cantlay’s pace.

But Xander Schauffele feels that the reputation is unwanted. The World No. 3 feels that the eight-time PGA Tour winner hits it pretty quickly but might be a bit lazy with his putting. “He actually hits pretty fast when he is over the ball. He may tap all around when he is with his putter but other than that he hits relatively quick.”

Schauffele went on to further add that the shot clock at the SoFi center is a bit intense, creating a more pressure-filled setup for the golf action.

Schauffele on the shot clock

The unique feature of the TGL shot clock is that it is there. 40 seconds is the regulation time allowed for a stroke on the PGA Tour. But the visible shot clock is one of a kind. It comes with a catch as well.  When there are 15 seconds to go, a heartbeat echoes across the arena for every second that passes. It can be very off-putting, at least according to Schauffele.

“That heartbeat comes on at 15 seconds and you are trying to sit there and visualise your shot because it’s going to go into the screen and then all of a sudden you hear this heartbeat and it backs up the pace as it goes down to 10 seconds and five seconds and you’re like holy smokes, might as well pull the trigger,” stated the New York Golf Club player.

He went on to further add that such a system could multiply the pressure on a player, especially when the stakes are really high, like in the majors. “I can only imagine how much anxiety I would have if that was at a major championship or something. You have a putt to win and you hear this extra heartbeat sound coming down from a speaker. That would suck.”

What do you think of the first edition of the TGL? Do you think the simulator golf league offers another dimension to the sport with new concepts like hammer and shot clock?