When TGL’s inaugural season started, Rory McIlroy’s Boston Frequent group was the odds-on favourite to win the SoFi Cup at +350, per Keith Stewart of Learn The Line. McIlroy has Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley taking part in alongside him, all of whom are ranked throughout the high 30 on the earth — oddsmakers itemizing them because the pre-season favourite made sense.
But, with just one match left within the common season, Boston wants exterior assist to keep away from elimination.
Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay of Atlanta Drive beat McIlroy, Matsuyama, and Bradley 6-to-3, handing Boston their fourth loss. McIlroy and firm now should cheer for The Bay, who faces a Tiger Woods-less Jupiter Hyperlinks group on Tuesday evening. Ought to Jupiter Hyperlinks win, they may eradicate Boston from playoff rivalry. Solely the highest 4 groups qualify for the postseason, and Boston presently sits in sixth place — the cellar of the standings.
“We got here in right here actually anticipating to win,” Bradley mentioned after.
“We obtained off to a little bit of a sluggish begin. We didn’t play that nice initially, however we picked it up on the finish. Some good pictures for the boys there on Atlanta to beat us on the finish.”
The pivotal level of Monday evening’s match got here on the par-3 twelfth throughout singles. Boston and Atlanta have been tied up at two apiece, with McIlroy and Cantlay going through off.
Measuring solely 162 yards, Cantlay fired a laser to 3 toes away. McIlroy hit his method simply off the inexperienced, settling about 20 toes from the cup. Atlanta then threw the hammer, and McIlroy couldn’t save par, giving the Drive an enormous two factors.
“The massive turning level was clearly Patrick hit it in shut there on the opening that we performed, after which they threw the hammer, and I felt like I needed to settle for it,” McIlroy mentioned.
“I wished to a minimum of have an opportunity to tie that gap and provides it a very good run with the chip. However then getting these two factors and going 4-2 up at that time was clearly an enormous turning level.
“It was robust. We felt like we performed fairly good. We hung in there within the triples, and simply disenchanted to not get the job executed.”
Bradley then birdied the subsequent gap, the drivable par-4 thirteenth. However Thomas hit a spectacular wedge shot — probably the greatest in TGL historical past — to tie.
One gap later, Horschel and Matsuyama every hit terrific irons into the 142-yard par-3 14th. However Horschel’s ball settled about 4 inches farther away from Matsuyama’s. In match play, you need to putt first so to apply strain to your opponent in case you make it. Horschel did simply that, after which Atlanta threw one other hammer, upping the ante of Matsuyama’s birdie strive. If he made it, they might halve the opening. A miss would give Atlanta two extra factors and, subsequently, the win.
Matsuyama missed, which despatched Atlanta to the playoffs and turned Boston into followers of The Bay.
“Hideki hit a terrific shot into the par-3 and hit a very good putt,” McIlroy mentioned.
“It simply didn’t break to the precise like we thought.”
An identical sentiment might be mentioned about Boston’s inaugural marketing campaign in TGL. No person would have thought that they might not management their very own future at this level within the season. However that’s the place they’re, proving that something can occur in golf — even indoors.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
