Abdelrahman
New York Golf Club Celebrates First Victory in TGL Season
The New York Golf Club (NYGC) has secured its first victory in the inaugural season of the TGL, triumphing with a 10-3 win against Tiger Woods and the Jupiter Links Golf Club (JLGC) on Tuesday at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Key players Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, and Matt Fitzpatrick led NYGC to a strong start of 1-2 after the initial three matches. In contrast, Tiger Woods, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner, and the JLGC struggled to maintain momentum following their recent win over Boston Common Golf, ending up with the same record.
This match marked Woods’ return to the competitive golf scene after he announced the previous week that he would not participate in the Genesis Invitational due to the passing of his mother, Kultida Woods, on February 4 at the age of 80.
While Woods was unable to guide his team to victory upon his comeback, his appearance drew significant attention on social media and engaged fans from across the golfing community.
The competition format on Tuesday involved teams playing in triples for the first nine holes, followed by six one-hole singles matches. In the triples setup, teammates took turns hitting drives and iron shots into the simulator, with chipping and putting tasks handled on the putting green.
The introduction of the Hammer rule added an intriguing twist to the match. Each hole was worth one point, and both teams had three Hammers to deploy during the play. If a team threw a Hammer and the opposing side accepted it, the value of that hole increased by one point. Thus, a hole could potentially hold a value of up to three points if both teams agreed to the Hammer.
The JLGC found their first bit of momentum through the use of a Hammer after a rocky start. Kim sank a critical putt on the final hole of the triples, narrowing the score to 8-2 and providing the team with a much-needed boost after NYGC dominated early on.
Woods played a crucial role in building on this momentum by scoring a birdie to secure the first singles point for JLGC. However, Fowler quickly countered with a birdie of his own, ensuring that NYGC maintained control without much drama in the final stretch.
One of the evening’s highlights occurred when Woods miscalculated the distance on the 13th hole, believing he was hitting from 99 yards when he was actually 199 yards away. After taking a wedge shot that fell short, laughter erupted amongst his teammates, showcasing the lighthearted atmosphere of the TGL event.
Woods humorously remarked during the ESPN broadcast that it was one of his most embarrassing moments on the golf course, reflecting the relaxed and entertaining spirit the TGL aims to foster.
Although JLGC did not clinch a win, it was evident that the players were enjoying the innovative format, which continues to keep golf in the spotlight even during weekdays without traditional tournaments.
