After a one-week break, TGL resumed its season with a Presidents Day triple-header on Monday. Teeing off in the afternoon out of its usual primetime setting, the first matchup featured the undefeated Atlanta Drive GC (1-0) and the Los Angeles Golf Club (2-0).
LAGC took an early 1-0 lead on the third hole, with Justin Rose sinking a 14-foot putt. However, the match was tied at 1-1 on the next hole when Justin Thomas threw The Hammer for Atlanta, but LAGC declined. (Each team got three Hammers under new rules, compared to one during previous TGL matches.)
Sahith Theegala missed a putt on the fifth hole that would have given LAGC the lead, but the shot lipped out. The two teams remained tied at 2-2 after Holes 6 and 7.
LAGC won the ninth hole on a Thomas putt from seven feet to take a 3-2 lead. They built that margin to 5-2 when Tommy Fleetwood sank a birdie to win Hole 11.
However, Atlanta rallied to make it 5-4 on Hole 13 with a Billy Horschel putt. LAGC held its slight edge until Hole 15 when Thomas chipped in to move the match to overtime.
In overtime, it’s a closest-to-the-pin challenge in TGL. Fleetwood looked like he gave LAGC the win when he holed in his shot. But Patrick Cantlay finished off Atlanta’s rally and got the win, landing his shot to within five feet of the pin.
With the win, Atlanta improved to 2-0 and will try to remain undefeated against The Bay GC in their 4 p.m. ET match. LAGC took its first loss and dropped to 2-0-1, but still looks like the TGL favorite ahead of a match next Monday against New York GC (0-2).
The Bay Golf Club and Boston Common Golf will wrap up the night in the third matchup of the day. That will feature Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg, who is fresh off his win at the Genesis Invitational in Southern California on Sunday.
