Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods recently faced off in a match within the TGL, an indoor golf league merging traditional play with modern technology, co-founded by Woods and McIlroy alongside the PGA Tour.
The two competed at the SoFi Center, with Woods leading his team, Jupiter Links GC, against McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf.
Despite McIlroy’s playful earlier jab about Woods’ age possibly affecting his vision, Jupiter Links clinched a narrow victory, finishing the match with a score of 4-3. The result hinged on a chip by Kevin Kisner, which left Boston’s Adam Scott without the chance to equalize.
The event wasn’t short on excitement, with both personalities brilliantly on show.
“That was awesome. That was so cool,” McIlroy said following the fun, with the camaraderie between the two evident via Palm Beach Post.
Reflecting on the day’s contest, McIlroy had a bit of fun at Woods’ expense, jesting that the legendary golfer’s vision wasn’t what it used to be.
“He’s getting a little older. His eyes might have been going. He struggles in this light. I thought it was a good opportunity if he missed to get two points,” he quipped. However, McIlroy didn’t shy away from admitting to Woods’ impressive performance.
“He stepped up and delivered like he usually does. … He was feeling it out there, and it was really cool to see.”
Woods, while entertaining the audience with a bit of banter himself by waving a yellow flag known as “The Hammer,” had his fair share of challenging moments, including when he left a ball trapped in a bunker. This mishap allowed Boston to take a brief advantage. On top of this, Woods made history by receiving the first-ever shot-clock violation in the TGL format.
“I was dropping my heart rate down like I normally would. It just took too long,” he admitted.
Despite the strong competitive nature of both golfers, Woods had a lot of fun with his fellow athlete.
“I’ve played plenty against him in stroke play,” Woods said about McIlroy. “But this is different. This is a totally different animal and a different beast. It’s more for entertaining. It’s more for the growth of the game.
“The fact that the two owners came together tonight and put on a show like this, it was a very important night.”
McIlroy also showed profound admiration for Woods’ influence throughout the sport, admitting that their events together have often felt like dream encounters for him.
“They always say never meet your heroes but with Tiger that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he mused. “I don’t think anyone can underestimate the impact that he’s had on our game and the impact that he’s had on all of us as professional golfers. Would TGL exist if Tiger wasn’t around for 20 years? Probably not.”
As for the TGL format itself, this indoor league marks a transformative step for golf by meshing traditional play with modern tech. With its unique tournament design, the league uses custom features like a 64 x 53 foot simulator screen and ‘GreenZone’ playing areas, immersing players and fans in a next-level golfing experience.
Team matches consist of two parts: a cooperative ‘Triples’ format with three players, and a competitive ‘Singles’ format for head-to-head competition. The introduction of rules like the 40-second shot clock adds an interesting extra layer to the game.
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