It was a mixed night for Justin Thomas and his Atlanta Drive side as they beat Los Angeles before losing to The Bay in the TGL triple-header on Monday.
It was a moment of magic from Justin Thomas which took the opening match of the day into overtime. Thomas had initially fluffed a chip shot in his singles match with Sahith Theegala.
The two-time major champion almost sounded defeated when he asked for the pin to be taken out as he faced another chip. And yet, it almost seemed completely unsurprising that Thomas then found the bottom of the cup with his next shot.
It was a hugely successful night for TGL. All three matches were decided by just one point, and some real drama was able to build.
Justin Thomas explains what is so much harder in TGL than on the PGA Tour
Of course, TGL is still not without flaws. Some of the bounces were strange, and it was noticeable that Patrick Cantlay – who still refuses to show any significant emotion – looked baffled every time his drives appeared on the screen. And the green remains a tough nut to crack for many of the players.
In fact, speaking after their second match, Thomas suggested that the putting surface offers more of a challenge than what they face most weeks on the PGA Tour.
“It’s a lot harder than reading greens at Torrey or anywhere. Especially I would say all of us are on the softer side of speed in putting, and playing break, and when you hit it at that speed you generally play the high side. A lot of putts, especially the ones you’re wanting to make inside of 10 feet don’t break much here. I don’t want to speak on behalf of my teammates, but it’s probably not as comfortable for us to go straight and firm,” he said.
“But it’s the same for everybody. I think it’s just adjusting to not — we’re so used to seeing a lot of break because we’re playing it every week. We’ve come to find out that inside the hole is generally a decent answer.”
“The lighting is an adjustment might be even a little harder to see the subtleties, whereas if we’re out under the actual sun, it helps you see it. That’s what I noticed today when it mattered in my first match,” Lucas Glover then added.
Why TGL had easily its best day on Monday
It should be noted that there have been moments which have hinted that TGL may have previously turned a corner, only for the optimism to largely evaporate.
However, Monday did really feel like a big day for TGL, with all three matches proving to be extremely close and the players clearly feeling the nerves towards the end.
The new hammer rules are much improved, and open the door for closer games even when one side starts to get away from the other. Meanwhile, there was a lot more talk from the players on the microphones which the viewers could actually hear.
There will obviously be a large section of the golfing fanbase who will still have little to no interest in TGL. It is definitely never going to be for everyone.
However, Monday certainly felt like a pivotal moment in the league’s short history.
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