Los Angeles Golf Club secured a 6-3 victory over New York Golf Club in Match No. 14 of TGL Season 2, qualifying for the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. The win eliminates New York from contention and sets up semifinals on March 17. Key contributions came from Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Collin Morikawa.
In a thrilling matchup at the SoFi Center, Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) defeated New York Golf Club (NYGC) 6-3 on Monday, earning a spot in the TGL playoffs. This victory avenges last season's semifinal upset by New York, when LAGC held the top seed. With the win, LAGC jumps to the No. 2 seed and will face semifinals action on March 17.
The Triples portion saw LAGC take a commanding 4-1 lead into Singles. Early pressure came at the par-4 first hole, "The Plank," where LAGC threw the Hammer after NYGC faced a par putt. Tommy Fleetwood's impressive wedge approach spun back close, helping secure the hole for a 1-0 lead. New York tied it at 1-1 on the second hole, "Caverns," with a conceded birdie. LAGC pulled ahead 2-1 at the par-4 sixth, "Temple," after Rickie Fowler's approach landed in the penalty area. Justin Rose's approach to two feet at the par-3 seventh, "Cliffhanger," made it 3-1. At the eighth, "Stinger," Fleetwood's perfect tee shot and Collin Morikawa's approach to five feet, followed by a declined Hammer from New York, extended the lead to 4-1. New York threatened at the ninth with a Hammer after Morikawa's drive into the rough, but Matt Fitzpatrick missed a 15-foot eagle putt, and Morikawa matched with a five-foot birdie to tie the hole.
In Singles, New York battled back, with Fowler's approach to eight feet and Fitzpatrick's Hammer leading to a point, cutting the deficit to 4-2. LAGC held firm, tying the 11th and 12th holes. New York missed a birdie at the 13th, staying at 4-2. Fitzpatrick chipped in from 23 feet at the 14th to make it 4-3. However, Cameron Young's tee shot into the penalty area at the 15th allowed LAGC to win with the Hammer, and they clinched two points on the final hole for the 6-3 win.
Jason Kelce, former Philadelphia Eagles center, served as special guest announcer, praising the venue's scale and technology. Justin Rose commented on the Hammer strategy: “When you’ve got that firepower on your bench, it’s easy to kind of say, ‘Hey, I’ll trust my team and we’ll take a gamble.’” Matt Fitzpatrick reflected: “I felt we played really well for three of the five matches we played, and we got one win.”
The regular season finale features The Bay Golf Club versus Jupiter Links Golf Club on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, with the winner taking the final playoff spot.
