Rory McIlroy was teased on Monday night after missing a seemingly routine putt in the TGL.
His Boston Common team, which included Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley, unfortunately fell short with a disappointing 10-6 loss to New York Golf Club.
The victorious New York team featured talented players like Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, and Cameron Young, all competing in the new TGL format.
TGL, or Tomorrow’s Golf League, represents a bold new venture in professional golf, showcasing PGA Tour players in an innovative 3-on-3 format.
In a fresh approach, the league leverages technology to create a simulated golf course experience.
Rory McIlroy is one of the founders, alongside Tiger Woods and Mike McCarley, a former NBC golf executive.
With the score at a tense 0-0, McIlroy sadly missed a short putt, prompting New York’s social media team to seize the moment and remind the Northern Irishman of a particularly painful past putting mishap.
“Didn’t know we were playing Pinehurst…” the team wrote alongside a clip of the putt.
This biting reference drew on the memories from the 2024 US Open when McIlroy’s dreams of securing a fifth major title unravelled due to two unfortunate putt misses.
Back in North Carolina in June, McIlroy was leading the pack by two shots with just five holes to go.
However, both on the 16th and 18th, he faltered from within four feet, resulting in bogeys on three of the final four holes that allowed Bryson DeChambeau to snatch an improbable victory.
McIlroy left Pinehurst without engaging with the media, extending his agonising decade-long wait for that elusive fifth major.
The tally for the Northern Irishman still stands at four, and on that fateful Monday night, his Ballfrogs were knocked out of playoff contention.
McIlroy’s team failed to win a single match, but the Northern Irishman insisted: “It’s been a lot of fun.”
He said: “I’ve been a part of this from when it was just an idea, and to see it come to life this year and see the reception to it, that’s been really cool and something I’m very proud of.”
Since TGL’s launch, it has faced its share of scrutiny, with American golfer Charley Hoffman previously voicing his concerns about the TGL schedule.
Hoffman said: “If we truly care about strengthening our Tour, we should be supporting as many PGA Tour events as we can.
“Many of you keep saying you want to play fewer events, yet you still find time for TGL, Race to Dubai, and other non-PGA Tour events, and that’s going to continue regardless of field size.”
When McIlroy was asked about Hoffman’s comments, they struck a personal chord due to his deep involvement in TGL and the DP World Tour.
“I think the thing he forgot to mention is the PGA Tour owns 20 per cent of TGL, so he’s criticizing his product,” said McIlroy.
“They also own a good chunk of European Tour Productions, so again – I thought some of the elements of the letter were fine and addressed some issues.
“He was criticising the Aon Swing 5. He was sixth in that.”
“He talks about having it be for the good of the Tour, but he’s also talking about himself as well.
“I thought a couple of them were pointed at me a little bit because TGL, Race to Dubai, and non-PGA Tour events like the Showdown that Scottie [Scheffler] and I did in December, I’ve been vocal about not wanting to play quite as much, so it seemed like it was pointed at me.”
McIlroy will be in action next at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
