With a strong team performance and a historic moment by Justin Rose, Los Angeles triumphs over New York in the TGL.
On Tuesday, at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the New York-based Jupiter Links Golf Club (featuring Max Homa, Kevin Kisner, and Akshay Bhatia) faced off against the Los Angeles Golf Club (with Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, and Sahith Theegala) in the Tomorrow Golf League (TGL). The match was highlighted by the first-ever albatross in TGL history, achieved by Justin Rose. It wasn’t until the second phase, the Singles, that Los Angeles clearly secured the victory.
Triples Phase: Early Hammer Gives Los Angeles the Lead
In the first phase, known as Triples, Los Angeles threw the first hammer on the second hole, securing two points. Jupiter Links responded with their first hammer on the fifth hole, earning a vital point. Los Angeles extended its lead with another point on the sixth hole. The Triples phase ended with Los Angeles leading 4-1 after Jupiter incurred a penalty stroke on the ninth hole.
During the Singles phase, the action shifted decisively in favor of Los Angeles. Justin Rose opened the tenth hole (a par 5) with a strong 300-meter drive onto the fairway. Max Homa from New York played a solid but shorter approach shot, landing just in front of the green, putting New York in a good position to recover points.
Historic Moment: Justin Rose Scores First Albatross in TGL
Justin Rose then delivered a groundbreaking moment for the match: with a 4-iron from 210 meters on the tenth hole, he landed an albatross that electrified the fans at the SoFi Center. Even Tiger Woods smiled, noting he has never achieved an albatross in his career. This shot extended Los Angeles’ lead to 5-1.
On the 12th and 13th holes, Jupiter Links fought back, gaining three points: Kevin Kisner made a par on the 12th after Collin Morikawa incurred a penalty stroke. Max Homa secured two additional points with a birdie hammer, tightening the match to 4-5 and making the final moments thrilling.
Closing Holes: Los Angeles Seals the Win
Saving a hammer for the penultimate hole, Los Angeles played it to force New York to accept and avoid elimination. Collin Morikawa’s par secured that hole and effectively sealed the match. New York was unable to recover on the last hole, and the game concluded with an 8-4 victory for California’s team.
With this win, Los Angeles improves to 1-1-0 and remains in playoff contention, while Jupiter Links suffers its fifth consecutive loss this season. Jupiter will have a week off before facing titleholders Atlanta Drive on February 2. Los Angeles returns to the SoFi Center on February 9 to play against Bay Golf Club. Upcoming TGL matches include Boston Common Golf featuring Rory McIlroy facing Bay Golf Club with Shane Lowry on January 26.