Boston Common Golf has finally done it.
The team in green – thanks to a big contribution from Michael Thorbjornsen – won their first-ever TGL match on Friday, defeating Los Angeles Golf Club 7-5 thanks to Thorbjornsen and a hot putter.
Thorbjornsen, who filled in for Boston Common along with Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott after failing to play in the team's first game in 2026, made four putts over 10 feet on Friday, becoming the first person in the TGL to do so.
The up-and-coming star, who led the PGA Tour in both greens in rules and overall driving, said he had a “good amount” of practice ahead of his first TGL match. And whatever planning and preparation he did helped him handle the bright lights of the SoFi Center with aplomb.
“I felt pretty comfortable there,” Thorbjornsen said.
As a team, Boston made six putts between 10 and 20 feet against Los Angeles, matching the total putts at that range in TGL's entire first season.
Bradley said part of Boston's success – it made more than 87 feet of putts in the game – is due to the renovated GreenZone. The changes make it easier to see the greens breaking down, Bradley said.
“We all read them really well together. I think Rory reads them really, really well. Obviously Michael did too. We were just there and we had such good looks,” Bradley said. “Michael and I, we had a few of these shots in practice. He had a couple of whom he said, “I know exactly what they do.” This is a big bonus.”
Although Los Angeles put a point on the board first, Boston tied the game at one after Sahit Thigala knocked his approach shot at the par-5 second into the box. Boston dropped the hammer and Los Angeles refused, resulting in a Boston victory.
Los Angeles regained the point at third before the teams traded shots the rest of the way to the par-4 8th. Boston dropped the hammer and Rory McIlroy faced a 10-foot birdie putt. Los Angeles accepted and McIlroy made the putt, leaving the teams tied 4-4 after threes.
The tight match continued in singles, with McIlroy winning the 10th for Boston, Collin Morikawa the 11th for Los Angeles and Thorbjornsen the 12th for Boston after making a 17-foot birdie putt on the long par-3 called Cenote, perhaps the most amazing video game-like hole ever (“There's no limit to what we we do here,” McIlroy said) to TGL.
No points were scored at Nos. 13 and 14, leaving Boston Common up one place heading into the final, a singles match between Thorbjornsen and Theegala.
Thigala hit a putt into the box on the final hole but came back to hit his third putt just eight feet. Thorbjornsen, however, holed out to just 15 feet on the final hole and after a timeout—as he had done all night—he hit the winning putt to win the match for Boston.
“Obviously it took me and Keegan a long time to get the win. It didn't take Michael that long either – he seems like a natural,” McIlroy said. “It was a great match, a lot of back and forth, a lot of quality shots, a lot of birdies and eagles, throwing mallets and dodging bullets.
“That guy to my left (Thorbjornsen) was a stud today and he was the star of the show.”
Since Brooks Koepka announced on Christmas Eve that he will not be playing LIV Golf in 2026 and beyond, rumors have swirled about his next destination.
Koepka, who lives near the SoFi Center, has attended a TGL match before, and McIlroy was asked about his chances of joining the team—or the league itself—in the future.
With a smile, McIlroy acknowledged that Koepka's formal joining of TGL would depend on people who are “more influential and more important” than him, but he said he is “one of the founders.”
“I'd love to see him play. If there's a spot on the team where Brooks could come and play, it just makes what we're trying to do stronger. He's a five-time major champion. He was one of the best players of our generation,” McIlroy said. “If he decides it’s something he wants to do, I’m sure we’ll find a way to get him involved.”
The TGL is open to PGA Tour members only. Koepka will have to formally reapply for PGA Tour membership if he hopes to return, as he did not renew his membership after joining LIV and for the 2022-23 season, according to ESPN. If he reapplies, the Tour will begin reinstatement and disciplinary proceedings. However, Koepka is eligible to play in four majors in 2026 after receiving a five-year exemption from all tournaments for his victory at the 2023 PGA Championship.
