Mexican Open Thriller
Ah, the Mexican Open. Tournaments like these are always interesting to watch and can lead to some really exciting finishes. Coming off of a signature event (The Genesis), these tournaments are usually filled with more smaller-name golfers, as the stars of the game are often taking the week off. But that’s what can make this so exciting! This is where the real grinders of the game have a chance to shine, the guys that are working every week just to keep their PGA Tour card. Too many bad weeks of play, and they might find themselves needing to go through the qualification process again.
Going into the final round, Aldrich Potgeiter from South Africa had a one stroke lead over Brian Campbell and Vidanta Vallarta. The final round ended up with Campbell and Potgeiter tied after the 72nd hole and the round went into a playoff, with both players looking for their first PGA Tour win. Just in case there wasn’t already enough pressure, the first playoff hole resulted in missed greens and tap-in pars for both players. It was the second hole where things got interesting. Potegieter hits an average drive on the right side of the fairway, and next on the tee in Campbell. What happens next is… puzzling? Immensely lucky? Bulls**t? Depends on who you ask.
Luckiest break ever?!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 23, 2025
Brian Campbell's ball bounces off the trees and stays in bounds on the second playoff hole! pic.twitter.com/KWBMbGtaKE
Yeah, that’s right — it was on its way to being out of bounds by a mile, but then somehow miraculously bounces off a tree back in bounds! I mean, that’s the type of thing that happens when you’re playing your buddy and decide to bet some money on a hole! I mean, great break for Campbell, but I cant imagine the rollercoaster of emotions Potgieter also went through! Campbell would go on to hit a DART for his third shot and rolls the ~3-footer birdie putt in for his first career win! Watching him and his wife embrace on the green was… just beautiful. It really showed not only how much winning on tour means to the players, but also how much it means to their families as well.
I almost forgot. My favorite part of this whole tournament? Campbell and his caddy toasting the tree that kept his ball in-bounds, and ultimately gave him the win if you ask me
Brian Campbell & his caddie toast the tree that his ball bounced off of to keep it from going OB.
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) February 24, 2025
He ended up winning the tournament and likely would've lost had the ball gone out of bounds.
(h/t PGA TOUR) pic.twitter.com/R6DwGFlh2B
LAGC’s Exciting Comeback
Monday’s first match was the LA Golf Club up against the NY Golf Club. You just knew this match was gonna be interesting with Tony Finau signing a 1-day contract with LA for the match, kinda feeling like an NBA player signing a 10-day. Finau just fit right in, he seemed to love the atmosphere and excitement of TGL golf, and the fans showed him the love right back! Rickie Fowler was leading NYGC to what looked to be a blowout win, but with the new hammer rules, blowout wins seem to be much harder to come by. Down 4-0, Theegala pours in a 28-footer to win the hole, Finau follows it up with a clutch 2-point win thanks to a hammer thrown before the tee shot, and Morikawa sealed the comeback with a dart to tie the match up on the last hole. LAGC would go on to win in OT to clinch a playoff spot! The first team in TGL to do so! Such a great match to watch, thanks to the new hammer rules and some clutch play from LAGC! Just some electric stuff from LAGC, and these comeback wins make this league so exciting!
Boston Commons Loses… Again
The second match on Monday night had Boston up against Atlanta. The TLDR: Boston Commons is just allergic to winning. You knew it was going to be a rough night for Boston when Rory hit a beautiful chip that ended up being knocked out of the cup by the flagstick on the first hole. I mean, I don’t know what it is with these guys. I love everyone on the roster, and they kept themselves in the match most of the night, but they just can’t seem to get the job done. Atlanta used their hammers to their advantage to clinch the win on the 14th hole. They have thrown the most hammers and won the most points using hammers in all of TGL! I like the strategy — go big or go home.
Kisner Can’t Catch a Break
On Tuesday, The Bay (walked out by Andre Iguodala) took on Jupiter Links (without Tiger). The Bay, who might be the best team in TGL right now, struck first on the 3rd hole with Wyndham Clark’s dart of a tee shot, and was up 2-1 after the 6th. It was the par-five 9th hole where things took a turn. Jupiter links throws a hammer before the tee shot (hammer must be accepted), Min Woo Lee of The Bay sticks one close on his second-shot approach, The Bay throws their own hammer, and they win the hole and gain three points for winning that hole. The Bay would end up winning the match, but the real highlight (or lowlight) of the match was Kisner’s tee shot on the 5th hole. Jupiter still ended up winning the hole but… well I’ll just let the video speak for itself…
Kiz shanks, Jup still wins hole. 🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/8R2REKB4iF
— TGL (@TGL) February 26, 2025
That’s all I’ve got for this week’s recap, stay tuned for predictions of the Cognizant Classic early tomorrow morning!
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