In an exhilarating match, the Los Angeles Golf Club staged a comeback to defeat New York in overtime during Tony Finau’s TGL debut.
Finau kicked off his first appearance with a dance and concluded with a remarkable turnaround. Initially, he signed a one-match contract with the Los Angeles Golf Club to compete against New York, as Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood had prior commitments. He showcased his enthusiasm at the SoFi Center, performing a dance before his first tee shot.
However, for the first 11 holes, Finau’s presence seemed to have little effect, as he, Collin Morikawa, and Sahith Theegala faced a daunting 4-0 deficit. New York’s players, Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler, made impressive long putts, leaving the Los Angeles team in a tough spot.
New York appeared poised to secure their second victory of the season, which would significantly boost their playoff chances. According to TGL statistician Justin Ray, Los Angeles only had a 2-percent chance of winning when Theegala stepped onto the 12th tee.
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance,” Finau joked, referencing a famous line from Jim Carrey.
“It was so much fun. I really couldn’t have had more fun. We were playing fine in the beginning, even though we were in a deep hole,” he added.
Despite the odds, Los Angeles was still in the game. Theegala landed a 28-footer for birdie, securing the team’s first point. Finau then made a crucial play on the par-4 13th hole, sticking his approach to nine feet and sinking the putt for birdie, narrowing the deficit to 4-3 with two holes remaining.
Tony turns the tide. pic.twitter.com/sVYfRfTdhp
— TGL (@TGL) February 24, 2025
On the next hole, Morikawa stepped up at the 170-yard par-3 14th and made a six-foot putt, tying the score at four. Both Theegala and Fowler birdied the final hole, sending the match into overtime.
TGL’s overtime format involves a best-of-three closest-to-the-pin challenge from roughly 50 yards out, akin to a shootout in hockey.
Finau went first, landing his shot 29 feet, six inches from the hole—five inches closer than Fitzpatrick’s attempt, giving Los Angeles an early lead. Morikawa followed with a six-foot shot, while Fowler couldn’t beat that distance. Morikawa’s successful shot clinched the match for Los Angeles.
“Sahith led us off by getting the first point,” Finau remarked. “We were able to throw the hammer, I hit a good shot, and Collin tied it up. It was fair game after that. So fun to be a part of matches like this. Momentum is a crazy thing in sports, and I’m happy we ended up on top.”
Conversely, it was a disappointing outcome for New York. Fowler expressed frustration, stating, “This one is a bummer because we got off to a good start, but those boys closed pretty hard on us, making some birdies in singles.”
