00:00Oh, it's the holiday season, people.
00:02You know it.
00:02Maybe you're running out there to get those last errands out here.
00:05Maybe you're going out for the latest tailor-made golf club or Nike shirt that you can buy.
00:10It's on the right side of Joe Ranieri.
00:11Maybe Keith Stewart did that.
00:13Do we have any swag for the people out here, Keith?
00:15Are we picking up any extra clubs?
00:16How about the Alien Sand Wedge?
00:18Can I sell you on that for the Christmas season?
00:20Well, you know what, Donnie?
00:21You know where the Alien Sand Wedge is sitting?
00:23Right in the corner of my closet next to this sweater.
00:27Yeah, I'll tell you.
00:28I have an Alien Wedge in my back from back in the day.
00:31When I was 17 years old, instead of taking the hard way and going, you know what, let's learn the sand trap,
00:35I was able to use the Alien in high school golf rules in the state of New Jersey.
00:39So how about that, Keith?
00:40We've got a lot of stuff to get to today and a lot of fun, which includes the TGL, Tigers Golf League, getting back underway.
00:47Fill us in on some of the details, Keith.
00:49Sunday afternoon, 3 p.m., ABC, linear television.
00:53I mean, what more could you ask for?
00:55Up against the Eagles and the Bills?
00:57I don't know, but you know what?
00:59Whoa, whoa, whoa.
01:00We're coming back with probably the best matchup we could get to start the season, and that is a redo of the finals.
01:06The New York Golf Club, one of the hottest teams to finish season one against the Atlanta Drive,
01:12who have some injury questions, but you know what?
01:15They also have the SoFi Cup trophy.
01:17So, I mean, you know, a banger of a first match, 3 p.m. this Sunday.
01:21I'll be down there in the SoFi Center.
01:23You know, who knows?
01:24Maybe I'll even run into Joe down there.
01:27Ooh.
01:27You absolutely will run into me, in fact, Keith, and hopefully I'll be the one driving.
01:34Let me ask you this, though, Keith.
01:36Give me the changes from year one to year two.
01:39Have they changed anything?
01:40Is it pretty much what we saw last year, or have they added any few wrinkles with this?
01:45So, Joe, that's a great question, and something that we really need to dive into here briefly is that they've updated the gameplay.
01:53They talk to the media.
01:54They talk to the fans, and they especially talk to the players.
01:57And what it came down to is that last year we know the team that made the most putts, the team that could scramble the best, forget the big screen.
02:03The team that played that green zone the best won the championship.
02:07So, fast forward, what did they do?
02:09They expanded the size of the putting surface.
02:12Instead of seven hole locations, which got kind of redundant by the end of the season, we now have 12.
02:17They softened the plateaus between the two, like, sides of the green.
02:21They removed a bunker.
02:22The sand there was absolutely horrific.
02:24You know, guys were hitting balls almost into the crowd, a la Kevin Kisner.
02:28So, they made the bunker smaller, shallower, and they gave them revetted faces.
02:32And what that means, in layman's terms, is that they've made them much more stable,
02:35so that the guys can actually play real bunker shots and not, like, chunk-and-run alien wedge shots like Donnie out of there.
02:41They softened the hole.
02:43They softened all the turf around the green.
02:45So, now, all of a sudden, the scoring for the different, you know, for the different holes, the way they're set up,
02:51is going to be much more volatile.
02:52Guys are going to be able to fire at pins.
02:54We're going to see a lot more birdies, which is exactly what we want to see.
02:56This is a simulator league.
02:58We're not talking Augusta National here.
03:00By the way, Keith, you know what's the interesting part about this, too,
03:02is because we didn't know how this league would actually turn out.
03:05And if the players think that it's a little bit more gimmicky,
03:08they wouldn't be excited about it or coming back to it.
03:10It feels like everybody they interview and talk to, they really have bought into this league,
03:14and they're having fun with it.
03:15And that's half the battle, getting the players to show up to the pros and be like,
03:17you know what?
03:18This is legitimate here.
03:19I want to play in this.
03:21Donnie, you're absolutely right.
03:22This time last year, going into it, I had two questions.
03:24Number one, could this be a live sport?
03:27Will it work?
03:28Will the simulator tech work?
03:29Will they check that box?
03:30And then the second thing was, would these guys be into it?
03:33And you know what?
03:33Being there, being in the media center, talking to these guys after each match,
03:37watching them kind of play, prepare, get ready for each match, look at the holes.
03:42They're scheming with the hammer strategy.
03:44All of that.
03:44They completely bought in.
03:46And guess what?
03:47We've talked a lot about the schedule changes that are coming,
03:50if the PGA Tour starts later.
03:51One of the unintended benefits of all of this is that if there's an open January, think about how much TGL is going to be able to recruit players.
04:01I mean, we already know that they've got the Motor City Golf Club coming.
04:04They've also got a patent on the name Texas Golf Club.
04:07I don't know.
04:07Jordan Spieth, Scotty Scheffler joined up.
04:09I mean, with a completely empty December and January and half of February before we get into the 2027 season is what they're talking about.
04:19The TGL could really, really get a boost.
04:22And you know what?
04:23After season one, they deserve it.
04:24Like, they're leaning into the gameplay.
04:27This thing is going to be a lot more fun.
04:28And the design of the holes is getting better.
04:30Any who's in and who's out that we didn't see last year?
04:36I know JT obviously is not in this year.
04:39Are there any new faces we can expect there, Keith?
04:42So I spoke to Billy Horschel last week in a media Zoom.
04:45And I asked him, I said, hey, you know, JT, not likely coming back.
04:49I said, who is he?
04:50You know, who's replacing him?
04:51Because, you know, if it's like Scotty, I need to know because, you know, we're betting on these things.
04:55But as it turns out, the rumor mill is rampant on all of this, Joe.
04:59And it seems like Akshay is going to be the man to replace JT for the Atlanta Drive.
05:05And then, no, strike that.
05:06I'm sorry.
05:07Ben Griffin is the man.
05:09This is right off the hot stove here for TGL.
05:11You know, give me a second.
05:12And then the second thing is Jupiter links with Tiger Woods.
05:15We know Tiger had back surgery just like JT.
05:17And Akshay seems to be going down to Jupiter.
05:19Now, sources tell me this.
05:21I haven't confirmed it yet.
05:22But, you know, in the Adam Schefter world of TGL, I'm your guy.
05:27He's getting it all brought up here.
05:29And, by the way, we're not too close from the start of the PGA Tour season.
05:33What is that first big event that we can look forward to?
05:35Because typically it's over in Hawaii.
05:36Is that still the case this year, Keith, coming up?
05:39Donnie, we're 23 days away from the Sony Open and the start of the official PGA Tour season for next year.
05:45We're going to miss out on the Century.
05:47No trade wins at Kapalua.
05:48No whale watching, Joe.
05:49I'm sorry.
05:50But, you know what?
05:51We're going to get it a week later.
05:52YLA Country Club.
05:53The Sony will kick us off.
05:55Like I said, a little over three weeks away.
05:57Three weeks from Christmas Day.
05:59Merry Christmas to both of you guys.
06:01Yeah.
06:01How about that at this point right now, Joe?
06:03What else you got for Keith?
06:04Are you going to join up?
06:05Are you going to go down to the SoFi?
06:07What are you doing, Joe?
06:08Come on.
06:08Well, I'll tell you what, guys.
06:11Keith, I'm here.
06:12I'm looking at the matchups.
06:13I'm looking at the lines for the first match, right?
06:16The Atlanta Golf – the Atlanta Drive Golf Club is favored.
06:19Minus 138.
06:20You've got New York GC at plus 110.
06:22Look at those teams they're going to roll out.
06:24You've got Lucas Glover, Patrick Cantley, and Billy Horschel.
06:26That's the only three names we know on the Atlanta side.
06:29But on the other side, you've got Matt Fitzpatrick.
06:31You've got Ricky.
06:32You've got Cam Young.
06:33And you've got Xander Shoffley.
06:35I love the plus money on New York Golf Club come Sunday afternoon.
06:39That's where I'm going to put my money.
06:40And you know what?
06:41We're going to cash our first match bet of TGL for the year.
06:45I love it, Keith.
06:46By the way, do you get those top flight Magnas anymore at this point right now?
06:50Do you have a couple of sleeves of those hanging around?
06:54It's right next to this sweater, the mothballs, and the alien sandwich.
06:58And the alien sandwich.
07:00I mean, Joe, you're really reaching here.
07:03I mean, you've got two days to wait.
07:05Santa Claus is coming.
07:06Santa Claus is coming.
07:07Come on now.
07:08Killing me.
07:09Killing me.
07:10Good stuff here as we wrap it up.
07:11Just before the holiday break, yes, people are going to be playing golf
07:14and getting those new clubs.
07:15Don't hurt anybody, people.
07:17Get out there in the spring.
07:18Let's get after Keith.
07:19Thanks so much for joining us once again.
07:20We'll talk to you soon.
07:21Joe and Donnie, we'll be right back after this break.
07:23Ciao.
07:24Also, we're going to do something.
07:26We'll be right back with you.
07:28We'll be right back with you.
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