The first match of the TGL Finals Series kicks off Monday night, with ESPN dispatching one of its prominent figures, Scott Van Pelt, to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for coverage. Van Pelt has hosted primetime TGL coverage from his Washington D.C. studio throughout the league’s inaugural season and will be on-site at the SoFi Center for Monday and Tuesday’s TGL Finals Series featuring Atlanta Drive GC against New York Golf Club, according to Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN2, with Game 2 and any necessary Game 3 taking place Tuesday evening on ESPN. Van Pelt will also host the late edition of SportsCenter live from the SoFi Center on both days and will present the inaugural TGL champion with the SoFi Cup on Tuesday night.
TGL has exceeded expectations in its first year. This simulator golf league, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has garnered strong viewership for ESPN, typically outperforming year-ago programming comparisons in its airing slots. The finals on Monday and Tuesday represent the league’s final assessment of the year; while Game 1 may encounter tough competition from the NCAA women’s tournament on ESPN, Games 2 and 3 should have a clearer night to themselves (barring some NIT games).
It remains to be seen if TGL can maintain strong viewership without its star players, Woods and McIlroy, participating in the finals.
