In the fourth match of the TGL season, New York Golf Club claimed their first win after three losses with an 8-3 victory over Jupiter Links GC.
The evening could be divided into two acts. First, Jupiter Links Golf Club dominated, led by a brave Akshay Bhatia and supported by Tiger Woods on the sidelines. After four holes, the surprising 3-1 lead favored the team in Tiger Red. However, the tone changed at the SoFi Center. A rules violation combined with a strategic decision shifted the match entirely to New York Golf Club. The team around Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler turned the match around with seven points and celebrated their first TGL win since the previous season’s playoff opener.
TGL: Jupiter Links Starts Strong – Tiger Woods as Tactician
The start of the fourth TGL match clearly belonged to Jupiter Links Golf Club. Akshay Bhatia, nominated as a substitute for the injured Tiger Woods, hit the opening drive – the first left-hander in TGL history to do so – sending the ball over 270 meters. Tiger, supporting his team externally, quickly threw the hammer—New York declined, and Jupiter took a 1-0 lead. On hole 2, Kevin Kisner extended the lead before New York responded on hole 3 when Cameron Young played a ball to within 70 centimeters of the pin. Bhatia increased the lead to 3-1 with a birdie on Jupiter’s official team hole, called ‘The Jup Life’. \”It was great being out there with Max, Kis, and Tiger,\” Bhatia said later. But the early momentum did not last.
Momentum Shift After Shot-Clock Violation on Hole 5
The match shifted gradually from hole 5 onward. Kisner received a shot-clock penalty—the second ever in TGL—which directly resulted in a lost point. \”I thought there was a pause due to a rules situation. Then suddenly, only seven seconds remained. I was not ready,\” Kisner explained. He assumed play was briefly stopped as New York awaited a decision while he prepared his putt. Only too late did he realize the clock was nearly out. \”Obviously, we should have called a timeout,\” Kisner said. \”I thought I could still play the putt with seven seconds left; honestly, no one has ever told me in my life that I have to putt within seven seconds.\” Jupiter still had control but lost rhythm thereafter.
New York capitalized, steadily catching up