The future of golf took a dramatic turn last night as The Bay GC crushed New York GC in the first-ever TGL match, with rising star Ludvig Aberg leading the charge.
The new indoor golf league, backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, kicked off at Florida’s SoFi Center with 1,500 fans watching the action unfold on a massive screen.
Shane Lowry got things started with the historic first drive – after a quick dash back to his bag for a forgotten tee. It was that kind of night, mixing high-tech golf with very human moments.
The Bay GC dominated from the start, jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the opening 3v3 foursomes. Aberg showed why he’s become one of golf’s hottest players, draining a massive 32-foot putt along the way.
The final score? A lopsided 9-2 victory for The Bay GC.
“I think it’s the future of golf,” Aberg said afterward. “I’m always so jealous of basketball and football guys who get to play in stadiums like this. The crowd energy is just different from regular tournaments.”
The match had all the bells and whistles you’d expect from modern sports entertainment:
– 40-second shot clocks keeping the action moving
– Players wearing mics so fans could hear every reaction
– Tiger Woods providing commentary from the booth
– Even golf-loving DJ Khaled made an appearance
It was quite a turnaround from the practice round. “They were beating us so bad last night when we first started,” admitted Wyndham Clark. “We were down 6-0 after like three holes.”
The players clearly enjoyed the new format. “We had a lot of fun. I feel like no one had more fun out there than us,” Clark said. His teammate Lowry joked that Clark would make The Bay “the most hated team” – to which Clark replied with a grin: “That’s my plan.”
The TGL continues next Tuesday when Collin Morikawa’s Los Angeles GC faces Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links GC. If the opener is any indication, golf fans are in for quite a ride.
