Innovating is hard
THE SKY (ROOF) IS FALLING AT TGL
Roster releases, team announcements, format changes—every week TGL seems to find its way into the golf news cycle. But this week it was a very different vibe.
Yes, the sky is indeed falling on Tiger and Rory's new golf league as a power outage caused the roof of the inflatable dome surrounding their new stadium to deflate. The result? Images like this. Ya don't need a degree in PR to say this can't be good for business.
No injuries were reported and crews deflated the rest of the dome completely to make repairs, saying no technology was harmed in the incident. It's also unclear if it will effect the January kickoff of the league with some reports saying that everything is still ready to go as scheduled.
So this all may end up being a one-off bad news week.
But I can't be the only one to see these images, after getting hyped on the renderings, and feel a bit bait and switched. I'm obviously jumping the gun and does any construction site look high-tech or exciting? No.
An inflatable dome though? At least toss some signage on the ground or throw a logo on the dome. This is giving me abandoned circus, right now.
Innovating is really, really hard
THE VEGAS SPHERE WON AGAIN
The Netflix Cup happened.
What I find most interesting with these new golf ventures (The Match, LIV, TGL, Netflix Cup, that weird golf thing Nickelodeon did last year) is that I am almost more entertained and intrigued by the idea of them than the actual execution.
Case in point, The Netflix Cup.
I write this newsletter every week, and even I forgot it was happening. One reason is because my interaction with Netflix these days is going straight to Jack's profile and either turning on Trash Truck or Sing 2. (Why Sing, the OG, is not on Netflix is beyond my comprehension.) And the other reason is because Netflix has trained me for years to expect to watch something whenever I d%!@ well please.
I thought Fried Egg Golf did a nice recap though so check it out if you have the time (or care.) For those who find the level of reading required in this newsletter to be plenty, here are a few screenshots to tell the tale.
For context (in order)...
The evening began with a speed golf hole where the teams raced to see who could finish the hole first. It was awkward. It was corny. Many fans on social media hated it... I think it's fun.
We saw plenty of antics from Homa and Albon who were channeling their best Team RamRod (shout out to those still sneaking Super Troopers references into daily conversations, stay strong.) Also, looks like there was plenty of Squid Games hype.
Whoever actually took my odds seriously last week would've cashed big time as I pegged Sainz and JT as my long shot. Another thing I didn't see coming... the trophy being so cheap that it broke immediately upon impact when Carlos Sainz dropped it off stage. An appropriate metaphor for the evening it seems.
--------
All this to say, innovating in golf is hard. Between the apparent audio issues, struggles with making a live broadcast of the same group of golfers interesting, and having to please both casual/non-golf watchers AS WELL AS the people consuming the Tour each week—it's an impossible task.
Which leads me to a bit of an apology to LIV. All the fundamental issues remain, but perhaps I was too harsh on judging the broadcasts and formats. These are massive moves being judged as they figure it out in real time. LIV has already made some great adjustments around the free agency and trading rules and for that, I applaud you.
F&@# this...
RORY RESIGNS
No, this isn't a candid reaction of Rory hearing that I apologized to LIV. It's just the cover shot Golf Digest gave the announcement this week that Rory was stepping down as a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board.
You do have to wonder, before the emergence of LIV, whether Rory agreed to join the Policy Board the same way that friends of the President get chosen to be the ambassador to Fiji. Ceremonial titles, little responsibility.
Only, in this case, Fiji decided to announce it had developed nuclear weapons and wants to invade the Cook Islands. (My knowledge of exotic islands is pretty much restricted to places that have hosted Survivor.) So much for kicking your feet up in that overwater cabana, Rory.
Rory's been pretty candid over the last season that the role of PGA spokesperson took its toll, so it was only a matter of time before he bailed.
Good for him. And I'll be HAMMERING Top 10 finishes and Major win odds for him this season. Rory's back!
Put some respect on my check
LPGA'S 2024 GLOW UP
On Thursday, the LPGA announced their 2024 schedule as well as some pretty major news around the season's $$$. 2024 will feature 33 events with a total purse of $118 million (and still growing).
To put that number into context, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, the commissioner of the LPGA noted;
“In 2021, we were playing for less than $70 million. This past year, we played for $108 million. Next year, we will play for a minimum of $118 million. That’s a pretty remarkable growth. I think that’s a 70 percent increase in just three years.”
That on top of new streaming deals with ESPN, the rise of great new stars like Rose Zhang, and strategic crossover events like the upcoming Grant Thornton tournament in early December puts the league in one of the strongest and most relevant positions I can remember in my life, frankly.
Next up... give me an LPGA Phoenix Open style event. Get this party started!
Have a Breakfast Balls-worthy tip? Secrets to teaching a toddler to love golf? Want to play some G?
Hit me up! The hot line is always open.
Want to re-heat some leftover Breakfast Balls?
Check out our blog and dig in.
