He who masters the flat stick has an edge in TGL. But he who throws the hammer at the right moment wins TGL.
Monday featured two TGL matches, both of which featured a comeback and a crucial hammer throw. In the first match of the evening, LA Golf Club, down 4-0, rallied for a late, dramatic overtime win over New York Golf Club in the first of two Monday night TGL matchups.
The match was a crushing defeat for New York, which had finally found its putting stroke and seemed ready to get itself back into the playoff conversation before LA’s late charge.
Two hours later, Justin Thomas and Atlanta Drive took on the reeling Boston Common and Rory McIlroy. Down 2-1 headed into the singles matches, Atlanta threw two hammers and won both, winning the match 6-3.
In the early match, New York’s Rickie Fowler started the scoring on the very first hole, draining the longest TGL putt in the history of humanity at 36 feet, 7 inches:
New York would go on to claim four points throughout the opening triples session, as Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young were dialed in on the live green. New York took that 4-0 lead into the singles matches … where TGL’s new hammer rules kicked into play.
With just four holes remaining, LA’s Sahith Theegala drained a 28-footer to finally put LA on the board:
Tony Finau joined LA on a “one-match contract,” stepping in for the unavailable Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. He needed a bit of time to adjust to the TGL format, but in his singles matchup on the 13th hole against Young, Finau dialed in. He threw the hammer pre-drive to make the hole worth two points, and proceeded to stick his approach to within 10 feet of the hole. After Young’s approach slid by, Finau drained the putt to claim two points and pull LA within a point of New York, 4-3, with two to play.
Collin Morikawa followed that up by putting his tee shot on the par-3 14th within 6 feet of the pin. Fitzpatrick couldn’t quite match that, and after Morikawa holed the putt, the match was tied at four apiece heading to the final hole. Neither Theegala nor Fowler were able to convert eagle putts, and the match went to overtime.
TGL’s overtime format is a closest-to-the-pin scenario, with the first team scoring two shots closer to the pin claiming the victory. Los Angeles won both of the first two duels — one by only inches — clinching the match and a spot in the playoffs.
“So fun to be a part of matches like this,” Finau said. “Momentum is a crazy thing in sports, and happy we ended up on top.”
The evening matchup brought a famous Ryder Cup rivalry — McIlroy vs. Patrick Cantlay — back to the fore. Boston Common has struggled this season, failing to win a single match and facing playoff elimination. Early on, Billy Horschel won the second hole for Atlanta, but Boston captured the fourth and fifth to take a 2-1 lead. That held through the rest of the triples session, and as singles began, chants of “U-S-A!” greeted Boston Common player and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley.
The crowd’s backing wasn’t enough to spur Bradley on to a win on the hole; he and Thomas split the 10th. Horschel captured the 11th after Hideki Matsuyama hit the flagstick coming out of the sand, leaving the score tied at 2-2 after 11. Cantlay nearly jarred the par-3 12th, leaving it just 3 feet for birdie, and Atlanta threw the hammer to double the hole’s point value. McIlroy couldn’t convert a chip and a short putt, and conceded the putt to Atlanta, making the score 4-2 with three holes remaining.
Bradley and Thomas split the 12th hole after a brilliant approach from Thomas. On the next hole, Horschel holed a 6-foot-10-inch putt, then Thomas executed a bit of gamesmanship by throwing the hammer before Matsuyama’s putt. When Matsuyama missed, the score went to 6-2 with one hole remaining, effectively clinching the win and a playoff spot for Atlanta. McIlroy defeated Cantlay for the final hole, but by then the result was academic, and the match ended 6-3 in favor of Atlanta.
Celebrities in attendance in the first session of Monday’s doubleheader included Serena Williams, LA co-owner; Eli Manning, New York co-owner; and pros Luke Clanton, Jason Day and Xander Schauffele. Atlanta Drive owner Arthur Blank was in attendance for the second match, and dropped some hints about the league’s future: more teams, more formats, and the inclusion of female players.
TGL continues Tuesday night with Jupiter Links playing The Bay GC at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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