LPGA stars promise it will get loud, rowdy in new WTGL | D'Angelo
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PALM BEACH GARDENS — Lexi Thompson and Albane Valenzuela were first up at the WTGL media day at SoFi Center and staring at them on the 64-x-53 simulation screen was a Swedish warship with a backdrop of snow covered mountains.
Tucked in between was a green with a pin sitting 188-yards away.
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They were hitting to a hole Annika Sorenstam designed for the fledging league.
"You better cut the s*** out of the ball," Valenzuela said to her Motor City Golf Club teammate as the two had a friendly closet-to-the-pin competition.
And so it begins.
The WTGL, created by TMRW Sports in partnership with the LPGA, starts Nov. 8 with a match featuring Los Angeles Golf Club and New York Golf Club, two of the five founding franchises. Those who spoke at the league's first media gathering on Sunday were excited about the opportunity to grow women's golf in a unique setting that allows them to cut loose and show their personalities.
Something their peers from the PGA Tour have taken advantage of during the first two seasons of TGL.
"People will show more personality because it feels more natural," said Yana Wilson of New York Golf Club. "On tour sometimes you can feel a bit restricted, everyone feels like they have to fit in a box sort of. Here you're able to be who you want in whatever way you want. That will be a lot of fun to watch."
Some were asked who might be the biggest trash talker or the biggest challenge to those whose job it is to make sure any inappropriate language is bleeped out. Boston Common's Megan Khang was a popular choice. She lived up to that reputation during a one-hole exhibition in which Boston defeated New York.
"I probably will drop a couple of explicit words but thankfully there's a little delay and there is going to be bleep button," Khang said. "It's going to be my best friend."
Even at media day, the censors had to be on alert.
"Getting us mic'd up, it's super fun for the fans to see us," said Nataliya Guseva of Atlanta Drive GC. "It will bring some of the trash, s*** talk to the place. It will be super fun for the fans to see us having fun and make golf more fun."
Danielle Kang explains trash talk: 'Not swearing to just swear'
New York's Danielle Kang tried to explain how nobody is looking for that kind of attention. How bad words just naturally come out during competition … or friendly trash talk.
Then she made sure everyone understood.
"We're not swearing to just swear," she said. "It's more of a reaction like, 'What the (expletive).' It just comes out. I don't think anybody's sitting here trying to swear."
But showing personality is much more than an alert producer with his or her hand attached to the dump button. These are women who are excited about using WTGL's platform — its 10 regular-season matches, and playoffs, will be aired on ESPN, ABC, and ION — to help promote their sport. And that is not just through their skills but through a behind the scenes look at their conversations, decision making and expressing themselves in a way not seen while playing on tour.
"It's so different than your usual tournaments, our day-to-day rounds, and I think that's what golf needs," said Thompson, who lives in Delray Beach. "It needs something a little bit different, being able to show our personalities, how we interact with each other and not just these super focused rounds we are playing week in and week out."
Entertainment. PGA Tour players embraced it. Now it's time for their counterparts on the women's tour to do the same in the league that will include 10 players in the top 25 of the world rankings along with fan favorites Thompson and Michelle Wie West.
"You'll probably be surprised what you see and hear," Khang said. "I love good banter here and there. But I don't think I'm going to be the only one.
"I expect it to get loud. I expect it to get a little rowdy. I expect it to be fun. That's OK. It will be a nice change of pace from regular golf."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: LPGA stars promise it will get loud, rowdy in new WTGL | D'Angelo