Wyndham Clark scored the go-ahead point on the 13th hole and The Bay GC fended off Justin Thomas and Atlanta Drive GC 6-5 in the second match of a TGL tripleheader Monday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Atlanta was looking for a two-match sweep after defeating Los Angeles GC earlier in the day. Thomas scored two points on the 12th hole to force a 5-5 tie with The Bay after throwing a hammer to start the hole and beating Min Woo Lee with an 8-foot birdie putt.
But Clark put The Bay back on top by reaching the green at the 13th after Atlanta counterpart Patrick Cantlay found a greenside bunker. Clark threw a hammer, and The Bay declined and conceded the point.
The 15th hole was Thomas’ final chance to tie the match and he reached the green in two on the par-5. After Lee received a gimme for a tap-in birdie, Thomas rolled a tricky, 22-foot eagle putt toward the hole and it missed by millimeters.
Lucas Glover made his TGL debut for Atlanta, and Thomas had another highlight as he watched Glover chip on the ninth hole. He chipped in for eagle from 27 feet to win a point for the drive, and Thomas, seated on the green behind the hole, flipped into a backward somersault in celebration.
But the day belonged to The Bay, comprised of Clark, Lee and Ludvig Aberg — one day removed from winning the Genesis Invitational, a signature event on the PGA Tour.
“This one got closer and closer as the match went on,” Clark said on the ESPN broadcast. “You did kind of get nervous and you didn’t want to be the one to let down your teammates. … So definitely had some nerves, which is fun, we love that feeling.”
Even Aberg admitted he was nervous in the immediate aftermath of his big win.
“That’s the way you want it to be,” Aberg said. “It’s supposed to be this way, close matches, get the nerves a little bit going, so it’s fun.”
The Bay will return for the nightcap to face Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf.
–Field Level Media
