Boston Common entered Sunday night in a position to clinch the first overall seed in the TGL playoffs as they played their last regular-season match of the year against Jupiter Links.
Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, and Hideki Matsuyama teed off against Jupiter's Max Homa, Akshay Bhatia, and Tom Kim. Tiger Woods served as team captain once again for Jupiter, as he also revealed that he is ready to get back into action on the golf course.
Triples
Rory McIlroy led off one of the best matches of the year with the longest drive in TGL history with a 392-yard bomb. Boston went on to win that hole and take an early 1-0 lead.
However, this year's Jupiter team has shown to be resilient (especially with Kevin Kisner on the bench). Jupiter won the second hole after a missed birdie putt from Matsuyama. On the third hole, Jupiter, who plays the most reckless and exciting Hammer strategy, threw another questionable Hammer as both teams were off the green on a par-3. Bhatia holed out from 15 feet to extend Jupiter's early lead to 3-1.
This match was very back-and-forth in the early portion, and Boston responded quickly. The match was made closer after the fourth hole when Jupiter declined a Hammer from Boston. Another Hammer was thrown from Boston after Matsuyama put his tee shot within three feet on the fifth hole, but this time, it was accepted from Jupiter. Kim missed the birdie chance for Jupiter and Boston won the hole and took a 4-3 lead.
Both the sixth and seventh holes finished in uneventful ties, offering no major swings in momentum. Jupiter threw a Hammer on the eighth hole after Bradley's poor 5-wood shot from the fairway. However, Matsuyama made his par putt, while Bhatia missed his birdie chance, which halved the hole. Boston won the last hole of Triples after Kim put his drive into the penalty area, which gave the Ballfrogs a 5-3 lead going into match play.
Singles
McIlroy and Bhatia began match play with two impressive birdies on a par-5. Jupiter pulled within one after a declined Hammer from Boston when Matsuyama missed his birdie putt, and Homa was only left with an eight-footer. On the next hole, Boston restored their two point lead when Bradley made a 10-foot birdie putt.
The drama and comeback from Jupiter began after another tie from McIlroy and Bhatia. Jupiter needed wins on the 14th and 15th holes to force overtime and keep their playoff hopes alive. Homa made par on the famous 'Cenote' hole while Matusyama missed his par putt by inches.
On the final hole, all of the pressure fell on Tom Kim's shoulders when Bradley made a 20-foot par putt. Kim was left with a six-footer to send the match to overtime. Kim drilled the putt and brought the energy to the SoFi Center as both teams were headed to overtime.
Overtime
Overtime is decided by a closest‑to‑the‑pin match‑play format using a best‑of‑three setup.
Bradley won the first matchup when his shot hit the flagstick and settled within three feet of the hole. Once again, Jupiter would not go quietly when McIlroy hit his shot in the bunker, and the match again came down to the last hole.
Matsuyama was able to put his shot five inches closer than Homa's to win the matchup and the game. However, Jupiter gained a point and will play a win-and-get-in game against The Bay Golf Club on Tuesday.
Updated TGL standings
1. x - Boston Common Golf (4-1-0, 8 points, 30 holes won)
2. x - Atlanta Drive GC (3-2-0, 6 points, 23 holes won)
3. Los Angeles Golf Club (2-2-0, 4 points, 21 holes won)
4. The Bay Golf Club (2-2-0, 4 points, 17 holes won)
------- Playoff Cut Line -------
5. Jupiter Links Golf Club (1-2-1, 3 points, 18 holes won)
6. New York Golf Club (1-3-0, 2 points, 16 holes won)
Looking Ahead
Los Angeles looks to punch their playoff ticket tonight against New York Golf Club as they tee off at 7:00 PM EST on ESPN2. Los Angeles is sending out Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, and Collin Morikawa, while New York responds with Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Young.