Boston Common takes down Los Angeles Golf Club for first franchise victory in TGL
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TGL highlights: Boston Common defeats LAGC in Match No. 2
Written by TGL Staff
After a year filled with close calls, near-makes and tough bounces, Ballfrogs reserve Michael Thorbjornsen nailed a 15-foot eagle putt at No. 15 and the Boston Tee Party was officially on at SoFi Center.
Boston Common Golf finally notched its first TGL victory Friday in its Season 2 opener, scoring a 7-5 victory over Los Angeles Golf Club in an epic back-and-forth match that came down to the final hole.
“It’s been a long time coming for Keegan (Bradley) and I to get a win,” Rory McIlroy said. “Lot of quality shots, a lot of birdies and eagles and Hammers thrown and bullets dodged. It was back and forth. It was certainly fun to play.”
The match was tied after the fourth hole following a fireworks-filled Triples session, with six total birdies, two eagles and points scored on seven of nine holes. That set the table for the home stretch in Singles, where Thorbjornsen gave Boston the lead at the 12th and clinched the victory at No. 15.
Thorbjornsen rolled up to SoFi Center sporting a Drake Maye jersey in what would prove a fitting selection. The New England Patriots quarterback is known to throw one of the best deep balls in the NFL, but it was Thorbjornsen who couldn’t miss from anywhere on the Green Friday night.
The 24-year-old became the first TGL player to make four putts from outside 10 feet in a match and bridged the gap between teammates and Ryder Cup foes McIlroy and Keegan Bradley for a complete team victory on the campus of Palm Beach State College.
Michael Thorbjornsen pours it in the hole for Boston Common Golf at TGL
Thorbjornsen’s heroics threatened to overshadow McIlroy’s Singles matchup with his Ryder Cup teammate Rose, with McIlroy making birdie at No. 10 to win a point over Rose and gain the upper hand in a matchup we last saw in McIlroy’s sudden-death playoff win last April at the Masters.
Rory McIlroy sinks putt, Boston Common takes lead at TGL
Proper Hammer strategy was a focus for Boston this offseason after the Ballfrogs finished fifth in TGL in Hammer points differential last season. They didn’t waste any time getting into the plus column and using it to their advantage, winning three total points via the Hammer to game their way to a victory.
“We have a little different strategy for accepting and throwing Hammers. A little more data-driven,” Bradley said. “Sometimes you have to take a risk with those Hammers because they can switch the match.”
With Los Angeles leading 3-2 thanks to a Collin Morikawa birdie at No. 7 and already in for par at the eighth, Boston threw the Hammer with McIlroy looking at a 10-footer for birdie. Los Angeles accepted after a brief discussion and McIlroy rolled it in. The fans went nuts, and Boston suddenly led 4-3.
Trailing 2-1 amid a scorching hot run from Thorbjornsen, Boston evened the match with a birdie at the sixth hole, Stinger, where the Ballfrogs reserve became the first player to successfully shape a stinger underneath the overhanging rock into the fairway.
Boston picked up its first point of the night at the second hole with extra flair when Bradley threw both the Hammer and his glove onto the Green with Boston holding the advantage at the par-5 Stone & Steeple hole. Los Angeles declined as Boston evened the match at 1 apiece through two.
The Ballfrogs also took a risk at their Team Hole, Storrowed, the par-4 fifth. Boston was looking at a 10-foot eagle putt and in prime position before Los Angeles’ Sahith Theegala chipped in for eagle. Los Angeles then threw the Hammer and Thorbjornsen immediately disclosed that he didn’t know which way the putt was breaking. After some assurance from his teammates, Boston accepted and Thorbjornsen made the putt to tie the hole and avoid an early three-point deficit.
Sahith Theegala holes electric chip at TGL
“We had a really good chance the whole day to kind of pull away and get a couple of points ahead and it didn’t go our way,” Theegala said. “These boys did so well and it’s so fun going to battle with these guys.”
Thorbjornsen followed that up with another 10-footer for birdie at the sixth to match LAGC and keep it 2-1.
Los Angeles looks to shake off the close loss at 7 p.m. ET Jan. 20 against Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club, while Boston is back in action at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 26 against The Bay Golf Club.
