TGL has been a major among golf fans. The league co-owned by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy has reimagined the entire sport within the boundaries of an arena. Fans are amazed by how enthralling it can get to watch indoor golf. TGL’s viewership has consistently grown after every round, giving numbers that would give the average LIV Golf fan nightmares. But it’s still relatively new.

Introducing a new format like TGL is not an easy task for anyone. Let alone making sure that it turns into a major hit. The indoor simulation golf league’s popularity has helped it achieve a lot of success. But there are still many in the golf community who are unaware of some of the rules. We’re here to explore three such rules that only TGL uses.

The Hammer

Those who have watched the first few TGL matches so far must have seen players throwing a piece of cloth on the green. It is followed by a brief, but emphatic round of flickering lights and music to alert everyone of what had happened. The Hammer is the act of throwing the cloth to challenge the opponents. The team that throws the Hammer essentially dares the other team to sink the ball before them. Players earn 1 point for every hole they play on TGL. However, if a team throws the Hammer during the hole, both teams play for 2 points. There is only one Hammer in the arena and both the teams share it. The team that throws the Hammer loses possession of it to the other team.

Shot Clock

The pace of play has been a major concern for the PGA Tour over the past few months. TGL had a perfect solution to avoid the same criticism, by introducing the Shot Clock. As explained on the official website of TGL, a 40-second countdown starts every time golfers line up to play a stroke. TGL penalizes their team if they fail to complete the stroke within that timeframe. The inclusion of a Shot Clock ensures that TGL keeps the action fast-paced and the audience captivated. However, players can’t carry over the time they saved on the previous stroke.

Timeouts

Following the NFL style format, TGL has introduced the concept of Timeouts to let the teams rework their strategies without losing game time. Every team receives 4 Timeouts during a match. 2 of the Timeouts to the Triples contest and the remaining 2 to the Singles matches. The team that is on the ball can call a Timeout during the 40-second Shot Clock. However, if the team is not lined up to hit the stroke, they can call it after the other team completes their stroke. Teams cannot call back-to-back Timeouts. They may call another Timeout only after either of the teams plays a stroke.

TGL has implemented these unique rules to ensure they can keep the tournament fair for everyone. They also keep the fans engrossed in the action as no one can anticipate what might happen on the next stroke. However, that hasn’t stopped the fans from criticizing some of these rules.

Are there any other concepts in Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy‘s TGL that still confuse you? Share them with us in the comments section so that we can explain them to you.