L.A. disrupts Tiger’s comeback, defeats Jupiter Links to secure TGL championship
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods made his return to competition for the first time in over a year, but it was not enough to prevent Los Angeles Golf Club from securing a 9-2 victory in the TGL finals on Tuesday night, thereby winning the SoFi Cup.
Woods had served as captain and supporter for Jupiter Links while he recuperated from back surgery in October. After Los Angeles came back to win the opening match in the best-of-3 series, he decided on Monday evening to step in for Kevin Kisner.
His most notable moment came when he missed a 3-foot putt on the seventh hole, expressing his frustration by slamming his putter into the ground. This miss shifted momentum to LA, and the match concluded in just 10 holes.
“We got our (butts) kicked at the end,” Woods remarked. “Three eagles in a row. I missed a short one to give them momentum and we never got it back.”
Earlier, Woods had mentioned that participating in TGL was merely a step forward. He did not indicate whether he would compete in the Masters scheduled for April 9-12.
“This body … it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying,” he stated. “I’ve faced a few significant injuries over the past years that I’ve had to overcome, and it has taken some time. But I keep pushing.”
“I want to play. I love the tournament. I’ll be there regardless with The Loop (a short course he designed) being built there, along with the Champions Dinner. … We’ll see how it unfolds. I’ll be practicing and playing at home this week, continuing to make progress.”
His short miss allowed LA to take its first lead at 3-2, and Tommy Fleetwood followed by sinking a 12-foot eagle putt on the reachable par-4 eighth.
Max Homa had previously suggested using a hammer — which doubles the hole’s value to two points — if Jupiter capitalized on a par 5 during alternate shot. This strategy did not work out.
Fleetwood found himself in a bunker, while Woods used a 3-wood to avoid the bunker. Homa then approached the green, leaving a 15-foot eagle opportunity, but Justin Rose executed a superb shot from the bunker to just inside 15 feet. Tom Kim missed Jupiter’s eagle attempt, and Sahith Theegala made his eagle putt, extending LA’s lead to 6-2 heading into singles.
This lead lasted only one hole.
Homa missed the fairway on a reachable par 5 and had to lay up. Rose found the fairway, and his second shot rolled to 4 feet. LA opted to use the hammer (making the hole worth three points), and Homa needed to convert his putt to keep any hopes alive. He missed, the eagle was conceded, and LA claimed the $9 million team prize.
“It sucked,” Homa told ESPN. “Not going to give you a whole lot more than that.”
Later, Homa expressed that he believed Jupiter needed to win the hole to prolong the matches.
“It was just a really dumb move on my part,” he admitted.
Jupiter Links earned $4.5 million.
For Woods, the focus was on returning to play, even in an indoor golf league. His last appearance was in early March 2025 before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, followed by a seventh back surgery in October.
His first full swing was a 3-wood from 279 yards just off the green, setting up a birdie for a 1-0 lead. Jupiter extended its lead to 2-0 when Woods lagged a 45-foot putt to a foot for a conceded birdie. That marked the extent of his highlights.
It remains uncertain whether Woods will accept the role of U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland. The PGA of America hopes to receive an answer by the end of the month.
His focus was solely on the match he participated in.
“It felt great to be back with these guys,” Woods said. “Frustrated we didn’t get it done. We had opportunities. It feels good to be back. I’d like to return under better circumstances.”
