TGL’s debut created a buzz, delivering a fresh, fast-paced take on golf with innovative rules and an energetic vibe unlike traditional tournaments. The SoFi Center brimmed with excitement even before the event began, but the occasion wasn’t without controversy. Reports emerged alleging that TGL used paid actors to fill the stands, offering them between $150 and $250 per event, along with free merchandise, to ensure the venue appeared lively and packed.
These claims were later partially confirmed, adding a layer of intrigue to the league’s launch. Adam Freifeld, a spokesperson for TGL, acknowledged the arrangement, clarifying that the league utilized seat fillers, similar to those used at awards shows, to complement the atmosphere of their small and intimate venue. But as it turns out, Claire Rogers has got the league covered.
Claire Rogers, one of the hosts of the Drop Zone, has been working as a digital host for the league with Jamai Webster. They have been interviewing people and talking to the players after the match. She was there for the event on both days. In the latest episode of the Drop Zone, she completely denied all the floating rumors and, well, in fact, shared how much she enjoyed it there.
“It looked very full to me,” said Rodgers. “The seats up top are like, there was an influencer one, where I was hanging out as not an influencer. But as someone interviewing the influencers, I would say a lot of it was probably people in their late 20s or early 30s. So and like, like a classic. What you was? He had a golf tournament. They’re all wearing a master’s pullover, they’re all wearing Seminole, you know, whatever they’re they’ve got on. And then a lot of gals, probably early 30s, dressed to the nines, so people got done up for this. It was, it was the place to be in Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday night.”
USA Today via Reuters
And with that, Rogers has set the record straight. Not only that, the tech-driven golf league is also recording high viewership. According to Nielsen numbers reported by Front Office Sports, close to a million viewers tuned in to ESPN for the first broadcast of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s brainchild. Just to put things into perspective, the recorded number is more than any LIV Golf broadcast on The CW in 2023 and 2024.
Moving on, Claire Rogers was not the only one who confirmed these rumors were definitely not true, especially when Rickie Fowler and Adam Freidfeld spoke about the event.
TGL team clears out the doubt in the air
After NUCLR Golf posted the report on the rumors about seat fillers, unquestionably it left the golf world in tatters. Things got all the more intriguing after the first match’s success. But before things could get out of hand, the TGL team stepped in. They stated that the paid actors were only for the dress rehearsals. Now this happened earlier in January which was only so that there is more content for the league.
It was stopped right before the live event. And while it will take a lot of time to clear out the air of suspicion, it is safe to say that people are actually stepping in to defend the league. I mean with the new format and tech-savvy course, who would not want to tune in? What do you think about the seat filler rumors? Let us know in the comments section!
