What is TGL’s shot clock? Everything you need to know about the popular innovation
Shane Lowry prepares to hit a shot in TGL's debut match with the shot clocks looming in front of him.
Mike Ehrmann/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images
The second-ever TGL match is set to begin Tuesday night, January 14, at SoFi Center, with Tiger Woods taking center stage for the first time with his Jupiter Links Golf Club. And for the second week in a row, TGL’s most popular innovation will be on display. We’re talking, of course, about the shot clock.
But what exactly is TGL’s shot clock, and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about the unique twist on golf’s pace-of-play rules.
How the shot clock works in TGL
While creating the new indoor league from nothing, TGL’s brain trust, which includes Woods and Rory McIlroy, had to decide which parts of the traditional game of golf to keep, and which ones to kick to the curb.
One of the complaints about pro golf is around slow play, and the league knew it needed to keep the action going quickly to keep viewers engaged. But what if they could not only keep the pace fast, but also entertain spectators in the process?
In TGL’s debut, this brilliant rules twist made the whole thing work
Enter the shot clock.
If you watch a TGL match or look at the photo at the top of this page, you’ll see two large shot clocks on the main video board in clear view for both players and fans. Additional digital shot clocks are located in other parts of SoFi Center.
The shot clock starts at 40 seconds, which means players have 40 seconds to hit each shot. That, mind you, is the same amount of time pros are allotted to hit shots on the PGA Tour. However, without shot clocks on Tour courses, players regularly go far over their allotted 40 seconds in Tour events, often without being penalized.
Not so with the TGL. The TGL shot clocks allow everyone to keep track of the pace of play. In addition, once the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, the sound of a heartbeat plays out loud across the arena for each additional second that ticks down, adding extra pressure to the players and extra fun for the fans.
It also allows for increased fan reactions. Several times in TGL’s debut match, fans started chiding players when the shot clock started winding down to zero, another thing you won’t see at Tour events.
It’s unlikely we’ll see shot clocks make their way to golf’s major tours anytime soon, but you can see them in action again Tuesday night in the TGL’s second match, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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