Jupiter Links Golf Club upset Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common 9-5 at the SoFi Center to reach the TGL final, where they will meet a Los Angeles side captained by Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. Los Angeles beat defending champions Atlanta Drive 6-4 in the other semifinal, setting up a final between a resurgent Jupiter Links and a veteran LA pairing.
Tiger Woods remains sidelined for the 2026 season as he recovers from injury, while McIlroy returned after an unsuccessful title defense at The Players. Jupiter Links — who finished last in the inaugural TGL season — put together a powerful team performance to overturn expectations. The club’s January addition, Akshay Bhatia, has been in strong form on the PGA Tour, posting par or better in 20 straight rounds since early February, and played a key role alongside Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner.
Homa drew McIlroy in singles and dominated their brief head-to-head, winning the two holes they halved together. His par-saving up-and-down on the 13th, celebrated with the Steph Curry “Night night” gesture, proved decisive for Jupiter Links and helped seal the victory.
Woods, who has been watching from the sidelines, praised the team’s progress and the camaraderie that comes with team competition. “Now the ‘Bad News Bears’ can play,” he said, noting how team events create unique bonds. Bhatia echoed that sentiment: “I think the bond is the biggest thing. I’ve definitely gotten a lot closer with Max… Obviously to have the greatest player of all time in your corner is really, really cool. I’m glad that I was an alternate for this team because this is definitely the kind of the best… gathering of guys that I could have imagined.”
In Los Angeles’s win over Atlanta Drive, Rose opened the scoring with a 24-foot birdie to erase an early deficit and later birdied the 14th to swing momentum further in LA’s favor. Fleetwood’s choice to deploy the Hammer on the 14th proved pivotal: the move created pressure at a crucial moment, and reports said Patrick Cantlay urged Billy Horschel to accept the Hammer when his side faced a tying opportunity. Horschel declined, and Los Angeles was able to close out the match 6-4.
Rose called Fleetwood’s gamble “genius,” admitting he didn’t fully understand what was happening when the Hammer was played. Fleetwood said the call “just felt like the right thing to do,” adding that a bit of luck helped. Several key putts from Rose also kept LA in control down the stretch.
Adam Scott, who partnered with McIlroy and Keegan Bradley for Boston Common, reflected on the narrow exit: “It’s kind of win or go home. Unfortunately, we’re on the ‘go home’ end of that tonight.”
The stage is now set for a compelling final: a tightly bonded, upstart Jupiter Links squad facing an experienced Los Angeles pairing led by Fleetwood and Rose. Both teams will bring contrasting strengths — Jupiter’s momentum and chemistry versus LA’s tactical savvy and clutch putting — in a matchup that promises drama.