Rory McIlroy failed to follow up his impressive win on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a first in Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) as his Boston Common Golf team fell to a convincing 6-2 defeat to Collin Morikawa’s Los Angeles Golf Club on Tuesday night.
Week five of the new <a href="https://sports-info.online/2025/01/14/golf/tgl-how-did-players-find-the-opening-night-of-the-new-indoor-golf-league-launched-by-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroy-golf-news/" title="TGL: How did players find the opening night of the new indoor golf league launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy? | Golf News”>indoor golf league at the SoFi Center in Florida saw McIlroy’s side suffer its second consecutive loss as the LA line-up of Morikawa, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood proved too strong after a fast start.
LA, who had served warning of their prospects in the tournament by thrashing Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links side 12-1 in their opener last month, brought Fleetwood in for Sahith Theegala and the Englishman helped them win the first three holes of the alternate shot – known as triples – session and establish a 5-0 lead after the ninth hole.
In the singles, US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley got Boston’s first point on the board against Rose on the 12th but Fleetwood then immediately hit back against McIlroy on the 13th to prevent their rivals gaining any late momentum.
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Boston Common’s Keegan Bradley was inches away from a first TGL hole-in-one
Bradley secured Boston’s only other point by winning the 15th – the last hole – but it proved too little too late, with McIlroy’s side sitting second-bottom of the TGL table with only the one point gained from their overtime loss to Woods’ team last week.
“I think I’ve really enjoyed the preparation that’s gone into it with the lads,” said Fleetwood of his first TGL experience.
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Los Angeles Golf Club’s Justin Rose attempted to run his ball into the hole on night five of the TGL
“Having watched it, I loved getting into the flow of it, getting into that team atmosphere. We got off to a great start. I felt like the crowd, the atmosphere inside the arena was great.”
How LA raced away from lacklustre Boston
Morikawa set the tone for LA’s evening with his first shot of the match as his 159-yard approach to the green left team-mate Rose a routine three-foot putt, which the Englishman converted.
Boston then conceded the second hole before Rose and Fleetwood combined for a hole-winning birdie on the par-three third after Bradley had found the rough off the tee.
LA’s fourth point came on the fifth with Rose sinking a six-footer for birdie before playfully cupping his ear to the crowd having been heckled beforehand.
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Los Angeles Golf Club’s Justin Rose immediately turned around and cupped his ear in the direction of a heckler in the crowd after he made his putt
Adam Scott squandered a big chance at the seventh to get a point on the board for Boston after McIlroy had left their ball within five feet of the pin, allowing LA to round off a dominant triples by taking the last point on the ninth hole via another birdie.
Bradley’s two points for Boston in the singles – earned thanks to a fantastic tee shot at the par-three 12th and then finishing within two feet of the pin with the team’s third into the par-five last – ultimately proved little more than scant consolation.
Having lost both of their TGL matches so far and with only the top-four sides qualifying for March’s semi-finals, Boston could now call on the one player in their team who has yet to feature – world No 5 Hideki Matsuyama – with McIlroy admitted they “need something” to turn their early fortunes around.
“He might be the secret weapon,” said Scott in the post-game press conference, to which McIlroy replied: “Could be the silent assassin that we need.”
‘She always had a big smile’ – TGL pays tribute to Kultida Woods
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A moment of silence was held before the start of the match for Woods’ mother Kultida, who died earlier on Tuesday.
She had last week attended her son’s TGL match.
“Very sad, sort of surreal,” said McIlroy. “She was here last Monday night.
“It seemed sudden. I got to know [Kultida] a little bit. She was always very warm, very courteous and generous with her time. It was always a delight to see her at tournaments.
“As time went on, you sort of saw her less and less and you’d bump into her in player dining and it was always nice to see her. She always had a big smile. You obviously feel for Tiger and Sam and Charlie [Woods’ children] and wish them all the best. It’s a sad day.”
What’s next in the TGL live on Sky Sports Golf?
The TGL will host its first triple header on Monday February 17 – Presidents’ Day in the USA.
Los Angeles Golf Club are straight back in action against Atlanta Drive GC (6pm), who then return for the second match of the night at 9pm against The Bay Golf Club.
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McIlroy’s Boston Common (12am Tuesday February 18) will then bid for their first win of the tournament against The Bay.
With all six TGL teams in action in the same week for the first time, the early hours of Wednesday February 19 (12am) will then see Woods’ Jupiter Links take on New York.
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