Rory McIlroy will make his TGL debut against Tiger Woods and his Jupiter Links Golf Club team.
Now that football is more or less over, TGL will stage a match on a Monday night for the first time, and it’s a doozy.
Tiger Woods, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner will square off against Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf Club, with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott playing alongside him. Of course, this highly anticipated match pits Woods against McIlroy, two of the co-founders of TGL and two of the most popular golfers on the planet.
It begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and will mark the first time Boston Common plays in a TGL match. Jupiter Links, meanwhile, lost in a blowout to the Los Angeles Golf Club two weeks ago.
Match 4: Jupiter Links Golf Club vs. Boston Common Golf Club
Key Team Stats for Jupiter Links:
TGL
Average Official World Golf Ranking: 664
- Tom Kim: 24
- Kevin Kisner: 832
- Tiger Woods: 1136
Total PGA Tour wins: 89 (Woods with 82)
Major wins: 15 (Woods with 15)
2024 Average of Total Strokes Gained: -1.061 (Would be 170th on PGA Tour in 2024)
- Tom Kim: 0.375 (64th on PGA Tour)
- Kevin Kisner: -1.691 (180th)
- Tiger Woods: -1.867 (N/A)
Odds to Win Match via FanDuel Sportsbook: +137
Key Team Stats for Boston:
TGL
Average Official World Golf Ranking: 12.3
- Rory McIlroy: 3
- Keegan Bradley: 13
- Adam Scott: 21
Total PGA Tour wins: 47 (McIlroy with 26)
Major wins: 6 (McIlroy with 4)
2024 Average of Total Strokes Gained: 0.897 (Would be 18th on PGA Tour in 2024)
- Rory McIlroy: 1.412 (3rd on PGA Tour)
- Keegan Bradley: 0.340 (67th)
- Adam Scott: 0.938 (17th)
Odds to Win Match via FanDuel Sportsbook: -175
The Story:
Since McIlroy always begins his calendar year by playing in the Middle East, it makes sense that his Boston Common Golf Club would be the last team to make their TGL debut.
The Northern Irishman posted a T-4 finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago, thanks to a final round 66 that gave him a back-door top-five. He looked a little rusty at times earlier in the week. But he finally found his groove on Sunday to soar up the leaderboard and post a result that looks much better in hindsight. McIlroy, of course, had a solid 2024 campaign, bookended by wins in Dubai in both January and November. Yet his 2024 season will be best remembered by his shortcomings at Pinehurst No. 2. He’s still one of the best players in the world, and it will be exciting to see how McIlroy does at the SoFi Center on Monday night. His length off the tee will be a tremendous advantage.
As for his teammates, both Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott have gotten off to solid starts in 2025. Bradley has played in three events already, finishing no worse than T-15. His best result came at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he tied for sixth. Scott also tied for 15th at The Sentry and then, like McIlroy, played at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic a few weeks ago. But unlike his fellow Boston Commoner, Scott struggled in the final round, shooting a 3-over 75 to finish in a T-37. He dropped 18 spots on the leaderboard that day.
Outside of final-round malaise, Scott has posted an under-par score in all seven of his other competitive rounds this season. The entire Boston Common team is playing well overall, which helps explain why they are a big betting favorite on Monday. Many have labeled them the best TGL team, although Los Angeles may have something to say about that.
On the other hand, Woods and Jupiter Links suffered the worst TGL defeat to date two weeks ago against Los Angeles. Woods, Kisner, and Homa looked rusty and off-kilter throughout that match, so perhaps Tom Kim could be a saving grace on Monday night. But Kim has not had the best of starts to 2025, tying for 65th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and then missing the cut at The American Express. He’s not long off the tee by any means either, so if Jupiter Links hopes to pull off the upset, Kim will have to be dialed in with his approaches and his wedges — much unlike Woods and Kisner from two weeks ago.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
