The TGL already has finalists for its second season. Jupiter Golf Links and Los Angeles Golf Club will play for the title after coming through Tuesday’s play-off semi-finals. Tiger Woods‘ team pulled off a surprise by eliminating Boston Common Golf, the top seed, while Los Angeles came from behind against the reigning champions, Atlanta Drive GC. The final will be played on 24 March.
In the first tie of the night, Los Angeles defeated Atlanta by 6-4. Atlanta’s team, made up of Chris Gotterup, Patrick Cantlay and Billy Horschel, went ahead early and led 4-1 after the first six holes of the three-player format. However, Los Angeles managed to cut the deficit before the singles and began that final phase trailing 4-3.
That’s where the match turned. Justin Rose led the comeback and holed a putt of around five metres at the 13th to put Los Angeles ahead for the first time all night. The decisive moment came at the 14th. With the score at 5-4 to Los Angeles, Billy Horschel rejected a hammer offered by his opponent after he clearly overhit his birdie attempt. That decision automatically awarded the point to Los Angeles, who moved to 6-4 with one hole remaining.
Atlanta needed to win the 15th to force a play-off, but they did not manage it. Chris Gotterup failed to take his eagle chance at the final par 5 and Tommy Fleetwood closed out the tie with a birdie that secured Los Angeles’ victory.
The big surprise of the day came in the second semi-final. Jupiter Golf Links beat Boston Common Golf by 9-5 and knocked out the best team of the regular season. Tiger Woods did not play, but his team once again responded with a line-up of Max Homa, Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia.
The tie was balanced at first, with holes exchanged early on, but Jupiter reached the singles leading by 4-3. From there they extended the gap. One of the key shots came from Akshay Bhatia, who replied with a birdie to an earlier birdie from Keegan Bradley on one of the singles holes to maintain the margin when Boston had invoked the hammer. Afterwards, Tom Kim, already decisive in previous weeks, was close to producing another great shot on the same hole where he had holed the ace that sent Jupiter into the play-off.
Boston were off-colour, especially Rory McIlroy, who was still returning from his back problems. The Northern Irishman sent two balls into the water, one with the driver and another with a long iron, and also lost his two singles holes to Max Homa with double points at stake. That sequence proved decisive in Boston’s defeat.
Thus, the TGL final will pit Jupiter Golf Links against Los Angeles Golf Club. For Jupiter, the expected names are Homa, Kim, Bhatia and Kevin Kisner, while it remains to be seen whether Tiger Woods will opt to enter the line-up for the title series. On the other side, Los Angeles are also awaiting the possible return of Collin Morikawa, absent with back problems, although Fleetwood, Rose and Sahith Theegala settled the semi-final.
