TGL: Tiger Woods thrashed on debut as Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose help Los Angeles Golf Club to dominant win | Golf news

On By Littum

Tiger Woods’ TGL debut ended in heavy defeat as Jupiter Links Golf Club was beaten 12-1 by Los Angeles Golf Club in their season opener.

The former world no. 1 lined up with Max Homa and Kevin Kisner for their first match in the technology-infused golf league, founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy’s company TMRW Sports, which sees PGA Tour stars go head-to-head in teams and using a hybrid of virtual play and real life play.

Woods emerged from the tunnel for Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ at the SoFi Center but saw his side quickly fall 5-0 down after just four holes in the 15-hole competition, which uses alternative strokes – or triples – for the front nine. -hole session before switching to singles.

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Woods walked out into the SoFi Center for ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and was greeted by a huge roar from TGL fans!

Their only point of the game came with a run on the sixth as Los Angeles Golf Club finished the session with an 8-1 advantage, with Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and Sahith Theegala adding three holes in singles to extend their winning margin to one . -sided competition.

Victory sees Los Angeles GC earn two points and move level with The Bay Golf Club – which beat New York Golf Club 9-2 in last week’s opening match – at the top of the season-long SoFi Cup standings, with Woods’ Jupiter Links joint – the bottom of the six-team league.

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Woods appeared to struggle on the 13th hole during his debut TGL match, hitting a tee shot into the water and a few shots later followed it up with a bunker shot

Tiger struggles in TGL opener

Woods immediately threw down ‘The Hammer’, which gives a team the chance to put their opponents under pressure by doubling the value of the hole, although both teams claimed a share of the spoils with a par in the first.

A chaotic par-five second saw both Homa and Woods go into the water, allowing Jupiter Links to win the hole with a bogey despite Theegala also finding the risk, while Rose rolled a 10-foot birdie into the par-three next to win two points with the ‘Hammer’.

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Tiger arrives at the SoFi Center in style with his son Charlie, closely followed by tennis legend Serena Williams

Jupiter Links claimed another two points with ‘The Hammer’ at the fourth after Kisner found the penalty area where Woods was unable to convert his seven-foot bogey putt to split the hole but holed from eight feet at the next for to avoid falling further behind.

Theegala sent her tee shot into the hazard at the sixth, where the hole was closed after Morikawa missed their putt for par, but Rose won the eighth with a birdie and Los Angeles claimed the ninth with ‘The Hammer’ to take an 8- 1 into the singles.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club watches his shot on the 10 green as Justin Rose of Los Angeles Golf Club prepares to line up his putt Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
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Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club was badly beaten in their TGL season opener

Rose and Woods evened the 10th hole with bogeys and a par was enough for Morikawa to defeat Kisner at the 11th before Woods hit his tee shot into the hazard at the 13th and took two attempts out of a bunker en route to losing the hole.

Woods and the players were left in stitches by Kisner’s comical shaft from the sand on the 14th, which hit the flag and flew to the other side of the fairway, with Morikawa winning that hole and Theegala claiming the last after Homa conceded.

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In a funny sequence of events, Kevin Kisner lobbed a ball out of a bunker that luckily hit the flag and then followed it up by nearly hitting his next shot.

What’s next?

The next TGL fixture sees New York Golf Club back in action on January 22 against Atlanta Drive GC (kick-off 12pm UK time), before Jupiter Links GC play Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf on January 27 (kick-off 11.30pm).

Los Angeles GC next match against Boston Common Golf on Wednesday, February 5 (2:00 a.m. start), with each match of the 2025 and 2026 seasons exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf. Stream PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW.