In a dramatic twist at the pinnacle of the TGL regular season, Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) usurped The Bay Golf Club to secure the top seed, sparking controversy and tension in the process. The victory, which saw LAGC triumph 5-3 on Monday evening, unfolded amidst accusations of disrespect from The Bay’s Shane Lowry towards LAGC’s Sahith Theegala.
The match saw a remarkable comeback from LAGC’s trio of Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, and Tommy Fleetwood, who utilized ‘The Hammer’ to recover from a three-point deficit during the triples. Their consecutive victories in the singles matches secured the team’s top-seed status for the playoff season, relegating Wyndham Clark, Shane Lowry, and Min Woo Lee of The Bay Golf Club to second position.
However, the victory wasn’t without its share of controversy. Theegala’s play on the par-three 12th hole, where he chipped in for a birdie to move LAGC ahead in the match for the first time, sparked a drama. The American star further fueled the fire by mimicking Lee’s ‘Celly’ celebration, drawing criticism from Lowry.
In his post-match press conference, Lowry voiced his disapproval, stating, “I noticed they did that tonight. I think it’s quite disrespectful to do someone else’s celebration. But maybe we’ll have the last laugh.”
Theegala, when confronted with Lowry’s criticism during his own press conference, defended his actions as playful competition. He praised Min Woo Lee’s contribution to golf and his vibrant presence on the course and on social media. Theegala explained his imitation of Lee’s celebration as a friendly jab, adding that such banter is part of the fun of TGL and hard to replicate on the PGA Tour.
“If you’re going to be doing that stuff, you’ve got to be ready to take it, as well. So we’re going to dish it back. It’s just the fun of it,” Theegala said.
熱いやり取りにもかかわらず、この敗北はThe BayにとってTGLでの初めてのものであり、今月後半にAtlanta Drive GCとの準決勝対戦に備えています。一方、LAGCは他の準決勝でNew York Golf Clubと対戦します。
ドラマと最終順位にもかかわらず、Clark、Lowry、Lee、Ludvig Abergを含む両クラブのメンバーは、初のTGLシーズンでのパフォーマンスに満足していることでしょう。
準決勝や決勝、さらには来年のアクションへの期待が高まる中、最近の敗北にもかかわらず、The Bay Golf Clubはリーグのトップチームの一つであり、今後の支配的な存在になる準備が整っています。
