PALM BEACH GARDENS — Ludvig Aberg stroked his putt from 9-feet on the first hole, and before it dropped from the synthetic green and into the cup, Aberg’s Bay Golf Club teammate, Shane Lowry, was walking in the ball with his putter high in the air.
TGL, the high-tech indoor golf league conceived four years ago and rubber stamped by locals Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, debuted Tuesday at SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College.
The night was more about celebration and entertainment than competition with a DJ, music and cameras on wires and wheels. The Bay crushed New York, 9-2, in the 15-hole match, but this was about players trash talking, fans counting down the shot clock and a hole in which the golfers had to drive the ball over … lava.
Virtually, of course.
“It’s the most fun we ever had playing golf,” The Bay’s Wyndham Clark said.
Meanwhile, an MC tried to get the 1,500 fans inside the sold-out arena to forget everything they learned about golf etiquette, reminding them it’s okay to scream.
“This is not a golf course, this is not a country club,” he said. “This is a real club.”
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy all smiles as TGL debuts
The biggest smiles on the floor of the 250,000-square foot arena during warmups belonged to Woods, McIlroy and Mike McCarley, the founder of TMRW Sports who brought the concept of TGL to Woods and McIlroy four years ago.
Woods and McIlroy roamed the floor, from tee box to rotating green, talking with players from both teams.
“This is an ability to showcase our sport,” Tiger said during the ESPN broadcast. “It’s not traditional golf, but it is golf. People rooting against Wyndham’s putt … you normally don’t hear that at most golf events.
“This is very different for us. Not used to having this noise.”
After the six players — New York’s Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick and The Bay’s Lowry, Clark and Aberg — met with an official and shook hands, much like three captains of a football team would for the coin toss, Lowry hit the first shot in TGL history into the 64 x 53-foot screen and onto a 377-yard par 4 hole called The Plank.
Two-hundred eighty-nine yards down the middle.
“I’m going to be the Scottie Scheffler of indoor golf,” Lowry later said.
Lowry’s drive set up Clark for an approach shot that set up Aberg for that 9-footer and the first point in league history.
Aberg later made a 32-footer.
For the record, the first water ball was hit by Aberg on the second hole. The first flirtation with the shot clock — and fan countdown — was Fitzpatrick’s putt on the second hole. The first Hammer was thrown by The Bay on the 188-yard par-3 third hole called Set in Stone with Clark facing an 8-footer for the win.
New York accepted. Clark made the putt. And The Bay was awarded two points (the hole doubles when The Hammer is thrown and accepted) for a 3-0 lead that grew to 6-0. The Bay then clinched the match after winning the 10th hole.
“It was as bad as it could have possibly gone for the New York Golf Club,” Schauffele said. “It was a rough go. I heard boos when I duffed my chip.
Schauffele later added: “They had good reason to boo. I probably would have booed me, too.”
As for drama on opening night, The Bay made sure there was none. That led to a much quieter final five holes with New York not having much to chirp about.
“I thought it would be little more of a match,” Clark said, repeatedly.
“You’re going to make us the most hated team,” Lowry told his teammate.
With opening night in the books, TGL now braces for its second unveiling, that being Tiger Woods’ debut. Woods’ Jupiter Links faces Los Angeles Monday.
“It’s really cool walking into an arena and doing what we got to do,” Fowler said. “This is something fun for the game of golf. It’s not trying to compete with what we do on the tour. This is a supplement to the game and hopefully open some people’s eyes to what is possible.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Bay wins on opening night of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy TGL
