Tiger Woods on Brooks Koepka’s return to PGA Tour: ‘He’s an additive’
Tiger Woods discussed five-time major champion Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour after Jupiter Links’ TGL match with New York Golf Club on Jan. 13.
The latest edition of TGL action will pin a pair of winless teams against each other as Jupiter Links Golf Club takes on Los Angeles Golf Club.
The biggest name in this matchup, of course, is Tiger Woods. One of the founding fathers of this indoor golf league made up of PGA Tour stars, Woods is still not competing but did do a little chipping and putting with his team.
Meanwhile, the two-thirds of L.A. squad is coming off appearances in the Sony Open in Hawaii. Will they be ready to go against the big screen, the Hammer and, oh, the other team?
Watch TGL match with free trial on Fubo!
TGL match live updates
It came down to a putting contest on the par-3 14th. Collin Morikawa, from 17-feet out, drained his birdie chance. LAGC added more pressure by dropping the Hammer after that putt, making the hole worth two points. Jupiter Links, down one with just one hole remaining, had to accept. Akshay Bhatia however missed his 10-foot birdie to seal the match for LAGC, 7-4.
Jupiter Links threw its final Hammer of the game before the par-4 13th, a drivable hole of only 306 yards. While Max Homa drove through the green and settled in the rough, Justin Rose’s tee shot went way right but got a nice kick off rocks and back toward the hole. But Rose’s chip from nearly 68 feet out was even worse than his drive, pushing pass the hole some 33 feet. But Rose came up with a spectacular birdie putt that lost momentum just a few inches short of the hole. Meanwhile, Homa got up-and-down in two, scoring two points for Jupiter Links and cutting the deficit to 5-4 with two holes to play.
On the par-3 12th hole, in which the players have to land the ball on a funnel down to the green, Sahith Theegala missed the funnel completely. Kevin Kisner just barely made it on the green-side rough, meaning Theegala’s penalty shot needed to go in. It did not, setting up an easy par and a trimming LAGC’s lead to 5-2 with three holes to play.
On his second shot on a par-5 10th hole, Justin Rose calmly used a long iron to get on the green from 225 yards out. But the ball took one hop and then rolled into the VR cup for an albatross, which Rose said on the ESPN telecast that it was his first ever. LAGC took a 5-1 lead.
If styles make fights, Kevin Kisner vs. a 586-yard par-5 ninth was a no contest. Kisner, trying to find some extra length, hit his tee shot out of bounds, while LAGC got on the green in two. When Kisner’s 60-foot chip did not go in, Jupiter conceded the hole, growing their deficit to 4-1.
The par-4 sixth hole game down to a pair of 7-foot birdie putts. Sahith Theegala made his. Kevin Kisner’s attempt lipped out. LAGC added a point to its total, taking a 3-1 lead.
Jupiter Links got on the board on the par-3 fifth hole. Akshay Bhatia’s 6 iron on the 197-yard hole landed 4 feet from the hole. Tiger Woods and his team couldn’t resist throwing the Hammer, but LAGC declined Sahith Theegala chance to sink an 18-foot putt, making it 2-1 LA.
On the 570-foot par-5 second hole, Tiger Woods got interviewed about his aggressiveness with the Hammer, which doubles the value of winning the hole. Moments later, after Woods’ team, Jupiter got to within 8 feet of the hole in three, Los Angeles threw their first of three Hammers. It was accepted, and Justin Rose’s eagle putt missed, so, too, did Akshay Bhatia’s birdie attempt, conceding the hole to L.A.
When is TGL golf on today?Who: Jupiter Links vs. Los AngelesStart time: 7 p.m. ETHow to watch TGL golf todayWhat is TGL golf?
TGL stands for TMRW Golf League, a competitive league of interactive golf started by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley, CEO of TMRW Sports. The league is made of current PGA Tour members, including major champions and those in the top-10 world rankings.
Matches feature two teams of three golfers and include 15 holes. Players tee off from a mat into a giant simulator screen that incorporates real fairway, rough and sand surfaces to hit from. When the ball lands about 50 yards away from the pin, players will transition to the “GreenZone,” a 5,270-square-foot rotating green that includes more than 600 actuators to make each hole unique.
TGL schedule
After today’s opener, all TGL matches this season will air on ESPN or ESPN2. The championship is set for March 23-24. Here’s the upcoming schedule:
Jan. 20: Jupiter vs. LA | 7 p.m. | ESPNJan. 26: Boston vs. The Bay | 7 p.m. | ESPN2Feb. 2: Atlanta vs. Jupiter | 5 p.m. | ESPNFeb. 9: The Bay vs. LA | 7 p.m. | ESPNFeb. 23: Atlanta vs. Boston | 5 p.m. | ESPNFeb. 23: Atlanta vs. Los Angeles | 9 p.m. | ESPN2Feb. 24: New York vs. The Bay | 5 p.m. | ESPNFeb. 24: Boston vs. New York | 5 p.m. | ESPNMarch 1: Jupiter vs. Boston | 9 p.m. | ESPNMarch 2: LA vs. New York | 7 p.m. | ESPN2March 3: The Bay vs. Jupiter | 9 p.m. | ESPNTGL teams: Who is playing today for Jupiter Links, New York?
TGL teams pick three of their four members to participate in each match. Akshay Bhatia is playing for Jupiter Links as a designated alternate. Here’s a look at today’s lineups:
Jupiter Links: Akshay Bhatia, Max Homa, Kevin Kisner (out: Tiger Woods)New York: Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young
The SoFi Center finished construction in fall 2024 on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It’s nearly 250,000 square feet with a simulator screen that’s 64 by 53 feet, and a rotating green sits on a turntable 41 yards wide. It seats a capacity of 1,500 fans.