The long wait is over. In the first match of TGL’s second season, Boston Common Golf Club can finally say it’s winning at SoFi Center. Helped by the debut of PGA Tour youngster Michael Thorbjornsen, Rory McIlroy’s team dominated Los Angeles Golf Club, winning 7-5.
Last season, Boston failed to record a win in the regular season, but Los Angeles entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed with a 4-0-1 record. On Friday night, Boston flipped the scenario, thanks in large part to its putter, which was on fire like never before.
At one point, the Boston trio (Keegan Bradley was third) made four consecutive putts from outside 10 feet and, after a back-and-forth triple session, moved into the singles division tied with Los Angeles at 4-4. In the singles, the rollercoaster nature of the match continued with Thorbjornsen proving his worth once again against Saheeth Segala.
The Massachusetts native won his first single hole with a putt from 17 feet, giving Boston the lead with three holes remaining. By the time he moved up in the batting order again, the score remained the same, and Thorbjornsen was once again effective with his putter, making a 15-foot eagle putt to give Boston its first TGL win on ice.
TGL points
- Boston gets W: Commoners are officially out of Schneid. After a year in which they were 0-4-1 in five regular season games, Boston picked up its first win and moved into a share of first place with the Atlanta Drive. This victory came without Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, two regular members of the team, which could put them in a difficult position in making recruitment decisions.
- Thorbjornsen shines on debut: Will a promising young star be given to a team with a large market size that has fallen into a slump? When was the last time you heard that? Thorbjornsen is from New England, so he’s not ready to don the tinfoil hat just yet, but it was a strong showing for the first-time attendee. After hitting his first shot in a greenside bunker, the powerful right-hander was lights out and couldn’t miss the green.
- Is Justin Rose showing speed? One of the most interesting things about TGL is that they produce numbers every time they swing, and Rose seemed to gain (and maintain) speed. He did a great job of keeping pace with McIlroy, and at one point his driver ball speed reached 182 mph. As a reminder, Rose was 126th in ball speed on the PGA Tour in 2025, averaging just under 172 mph at age 45. It could be nothing, or it could be that he’s preparing for another strong year in 2026.
