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A major rule change led to thrilling matchups during the entire TGL golf triple-header at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Monday (February 17).
The newly-launched indoor simulator league announced it would give each team three hammers, which are flags thrown to make a hole an additional point if challenged and result in an automatic point if the opposing team concedes, effective for the three Presidents Day matchups. The league initially gave each team one hammer, which resulted in "hammer hoarding" as the leading team would refuse to use it, which the new change aimed to combat.
Monday's triple-header saw each matchup end in a one-point margin with Atlanta Drive GC (2-1-0) defeating Los Angeles Golf Club (2-0-1), 6-5, in overtime during Game 1; The Bay Golf Club (3-0-0) defeating Atlanta, 6-5, in Game 2; and The Bay Golf Club defeating Boston Commons Golf, 5-4, in Game 3, with hammer challenges playing crucial roles in the close margins.
"We were 4-3 down going into the last three holes, but westill had two hammers, so it felt like we were almost -- it feltlike we were tied, you know, just knowing we had thoseextra two hammers," said Rory McIlroy of Boston Commons GC during his post-match press conference. "So I think it's a really good change. You still have to bestrategic with them because you don't want to -- The Baythrew their hammers early in the match and didn't have anyfor the last few holes, and we kept ours a little bit, and thatenabled us to keep ourselves in the match."
"Given our first match, I'm not sure how you'd make it more exciting. It came down to the wire," said Patrick Cantlay of Atlanta Drive GC. "There's not too many levers to pull, and I think the new hammer rule is a good one, and you saw that today with both matches, I think."
TGL will continue with its ninth match between Jupiter Links GC and New York GC, which will feature the return of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, who withdrew from the Genesis Invitational last week following the recent death of his mother.