Morning Sports Update
“It couldn’t have been a more pleasurable display of golf and banter.”
Boston’s TGL debut produced its best match so far: Boston Common Golf, led by Rory McIlroy, may have lost to Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club team in overtime on Monday, but the newly-launched TMRW Golf League (TGL) was probably the real winner amid the best match of the inaugural season so far.
Jupiter Links finished on top 4-3 by the end of the match (played initially over 15 holes), though two of golf’s biggest stars marveled afterward at the glimpse of the league’s potential.
Woods and McIlroy are co-founders of the new league, played entirely in front of an indoor crowd at a five-story golf simulator (including special greens meant to adjust to accurately represent the specific holes). After early contests proved underwhelming with lopsided scores, the Monday match — Boston’s debut — delivered real drama.
“It couldn’t have been a more pleasurable display of golf and banter,” Woods said to reporters. “Everyone in the audience was engaged. Hopefully, all the viewership were engaged. We as players loved it. This is what we had envisioned for TGL, to have an experience like this, and I think we delivered.”
Boston Common, a team that is majority-owned by Fenway Sports Group and John Henry (who also owns Boston Globe Media Partners, including Boston.com), will play again on Feb. 4 against Los Angeles Golf Club.
For McIlroy, excitement like the match on Monday will help invigorate the young league.
“It’s been really cool to hear that a younger demographic, it’s sort of resonated with them,” McIlroy explained. “That’s a really cool thing. One of the visions when we started was to try to engage that younger demographic and give them a bite-sized version of golf that they could get into and understand. And hopefully, we’ve done that.”
The experience TGL is trying to offer fans, aside from the “bite-sized version” of the sport, is also a more informal one. Mic’d up players banter between shots, and sideline interviews flow throughout the night. With Boston on-hand, local sports heroes past and present were there to cheer them on (including David Ortiz and Drake Maye).
The league will continue through a 15-match regular season before culminating in March with playoffs.
Trivia: Can you name the Brookline native who staged one of the greatest upsets in U.S. Open history, winning as an amateur in front of a home crowd at The Country Club in 1913?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The story was eventually the subject of a 2005 Disney film.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics lost a close one to the Rockets 114-112 on Monday night. Boston will host the Bulls on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Bruins will be in Buffalo to play the Sabres tonight at 7 p.m.
And the Boston Fleet will be back on the ice Friday to host the New York Sirens at the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
A pair of worthwhile dunks: First, enjoy Maine native Cooper Flagg’s latest highlight night for Duke in a win over N.C. State.
Also, here’s an electric put-back dunk from Clippers guard Derrick Jones Jr.
DERRICK JONES JR. JUST SOARED 😱😱
What an UNBELIEVABLE putback slam! pic.twitter.com/6uJNMtLK7n
— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2025
UVM celebrates: After the University of Vermont’s men’s soccer team won a first National Championship, Burlington celebrated with the team on Monday.
On this day: In 1967, the Celtics rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat the Knicks 114-112. Bill Russell led the way for Boston, scoring 21 points while grabbing 25 rebounds.
Elsewhere, the Bruins continued to fight for a playoff spot (helped by a young Bobby Orr), while local track and field races took place at both the B.A.A. and local high school level.
Daily highlight: Caleb Love nailed a miracle shot to send the Arizona-Iowa State game to overtime on Monday night. The Wildcats went on to pull off the upset against the third-ranked Cyclones.
Trivia answer: Francis Ouimet
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