An epic day of TGL matches concluded with some final-hole heroics as The Bay Golf Club stayed perfect, defeating Boston Common Golf 5-4.
Wyndham Clark hit his approach shot on the par-5 15th to just 10 feet and after Hideki Matsuyama just missed his own eagle try from 18 feet — despite Boston Common trying to ice him with a last-second timeout — Clark stepped up and rolled in the winner.
The Bay had defeated Atlanta Drive GC earlier in the day 6-5 and at 3-0-0, it is the only team in TGL that has won every match it’s played so far.
“There’s nothing better than riding high on good confidence. It was a great day,” Clark said. “We, I feel like, again played awesome golf. A lot of good shots, a lot of great made putts. We never really gave away holes which is huge, especially in match play.”
The match was 3-2 after Triples — neither team was afraid of throwing the Hammer, with Boston Common earning two points on the very first hole, while The Bay answered back with two points of its own on No. 5 — before Keegan Bradley pitched in on No. 10 to tie the match.
“I didn’t expect it to go in. But what a fun feeling that was. That was nothing like I’ve ever felt,” Bradley said.
On No. 11, Ludvig Aberg (who came into the day after winning The Genesis Invitational Sunday night and didn’t arrive in south Florida until about 3:30 a.m. ET) rolled in a 15-footer for birdie to put The Bay up 4-3.
After a pair of missed birdies from Clark and Matsuyama on No. 12, Bradley stepped up once again, driving the green on No. 13. After Shane Lowry chunked his chip, Boston Common threw the Hammer but it was declined by The Bay, meaning the match was tied again at 4-4.
On 14, it was McIlroy and Aberg again trading darts — with McIlroy’s tee ball landing just nine feet away on the par 3, while Aberg hit his to six feet. McIlroy made his birdie and threw the Hammer, but Aberg made his, setting up a final-hole showdown. Had Aberg missed his putt, the match would have been won by Boston Common.
Both Matsuyama and Clark hit spectacular tee shots and landed their approaches on the green, setting up eagle tries. Boston Common took a timeout to try to give Matsuyama more time to read the green but it was not to be.
Boston is now firmly on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture with just two matches left.
“Tough loss again, third week in a row. This is the best we’ve played. They just played a little better,” Bradley said. “I thought we handled the Hammers pretty well, made some great shots, great putts. But we were just short in the end.”
Aberg and Clark got off on the right foot in The Bay's first matchup of the day against Atlanta Drive GC, playing alongside Min Woo Lee who was making his TGL debut.
The team dominated the Triples, winning three of the first four holes to give them a quick 3-0 lead punctuated by an eagle from Lee on the par 5 hole 4.
Despite Atlanta winning hole 5 and doubling up with a hammer, The Bay refused to relinquish their lead, building it back up to two with a win on 7 and closed Triples with a 4-3 lead.
Clark continued his torrid pace in the Singles, winning holes 10 and 13 to erase Justin Thomas' hammer-fuelled win on 12 and secure the win, setting up what would become a perfect day for The Bay Golf Club.
KEY MOMENT
With Boston Common down a point after Triples had concluded, Bradley missed the green with his approach on the par-5 10th, but it mattered little. Despite a losing effort from Boston Common, Bradley’s chip-in from 74 feet for eagle was the shot of the day.
TOP PERFORMER
Ludvig Aberg is just so good at this. He was making putts, he was striping iron shots, he was bombing drives – and it all came after he won on the PGA Tour less than 24 hours prior, in California. He said after the match that there were “very similar” feelings from Sunday night to Monday.
“We're all competitors, and six of the best players in the world are on the green, and you don't really want to mess up, especially not with your teammates being around you who are playing good golf,” Aberg said.
QUOTABLE
“I did say to the boys, though, we do need to have a little party. Hopefully on the final night, we'll have a big one,” Shane Lowry on The Bay Golf Club clinching its spot in the TGL playoffs.
UP NEXT
Jupiter Links vs. New York Golf Club on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
For Boston Common Golf – vs. Atlanta Drive GC on Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
For The Bay Golf Club – vs. Jupiter Links on Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
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