The second season of TGL has produced some fun moments and terrific matches, but none has been more exciting or dramatic than the regular-season finale between The Bay and Jupiter Links. The match came down to the final hole, and it featured as thrilling a conclusion as one might see from a simulator golf league.
The Bay took a 4-2 lead into singles and held a 6-5 advantage going to the 14th (penultimate) hole with the winner of the match punching their ticket to the playoffs. Tom Kim faced Min Woo Lee in singles action on that hole, a 138-yard par 3, and Jupiter Links threw the hammer before the hole began to make it worth two points.
Kim stepped up needing a win to give Jupiter Links a shot at continuing their season, and he delivered the greatest moment in TGL's young history.
The best part might be Tiger Woods losing his mind like he just chipped in on No. 16 at the Masters for a hole-in-one someone else hit on a giant simulator.
While TGL has produced some fun moments in the past, one outstanding frustration has been some players being too loose, and the competition feeling like it occasionally takes a back seat. Kim's ace was not just a cool shot; it came at a time when there was rare, palpable tension in the air with the match in the balance, and the reaction from Kim and the rest of the team was true, unbridled joy.
With the win, Jupiter Links is headed to the playoffs for the first time after going winless in a disastrous inaugural season. As the No. 4, it will face No. 1 seed Boston Common on March 17, setting up TGL's dream scenario of Rory McIlroy's squad facing Tiger Woods' squad in the playoffs.
The other semifinal pits Tommy Fleetwood and L.A. Golf Club against Justin Thomas and the defending TGL champions, the Atlanta Drive. That match will be interesting, but the headliner will be Boston vs. Jupiter, particularly if Woods decides to tee it up as he continues to hint at his return to playing. A TGL match could be a way to test himself before actual tournament play.
