Tiger Woods’ TGL return ended in defeat as Los Angeles Golf Club defeated Jupiter Links GC 9-2 to clinch the season-long SoFi Cup title with one game remaining.
Woods’ appearance was his first TGL appearance in more than a year after tearing his Achilles tendon last spring, undergoing disc replacement surgery in October, and serving in a non-playing role with the Jupiter Links through the 2026 season.
The 50-year-old joined Tom Kim and Max Homa in place of Kevin Kisner in the Jupiter Lynx lineup for the must-win game at SoFi Center. The night before, Los Angeles had won 6-5 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals series.
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Highlights from Los Angeles Golf Club’s 6-5 win over Jupiter Links GC in Monday’s SoFi Cup final opener.
Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Saheth Segala were the same for Los Angeles, and with just 10 holes left in the 15-hole contest, they pulled off a lopsided victory that kept Jupiter Lynx from reaching the series decider.
Los Angeles recovered from an early 2-0 deficit and won nine points from the sixth hole through five consecutive holes to seal the victory and claim the team’s first prize of $9 million (about £670 million).
Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Sahit Segala celebrate with trophy after winning SoFi Cup
“It ended up being a disaster,” Woods said in a television interview. “They made three straight eagles and we just couldn’t respond. We missed the first short eagle to start the game and give them some momentum. And we just couldn’t get it back.”
Woods loses on return to TGL
Former world No. 1 Woods warned before the match that he expected to be “rusty” after “a very long year of rehabilitation,” but Woods’ first full swing was a 272-yard 3-wood on the par-5 second, giving him the deciding birdie at Jupiter Links.
He missed his wedge on the green on the short par-3 3rd, giving both teams par, but he made a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 4th to within 2 feet for birdie, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
Woods hit a 318-yard stinger from the sixth tee, Rose made his approach near, Homa made a birdie, and Los Angeles threw the hammer to double the value of the hole and tie the match.
Woods’ missed 4-foot par putt on the 7th put Los Angeles ahead, but after Fleetwood’s 10-foot birdie on the 8th, Woods’ point-blank bunker shot wasn’t enough.
Woods hit the fairway with his tee shot on the par-5 ninth, but Rose’s approach from the fairway bunker gave Seagala a 15-foot eagle, and Los Angeles accepted the hammer again to extend the advantage to 6-2 heading into singles.
Woods has not yet ruled out playing in next month’s Masters, live on Sky Sports
Both teams threw hammers on the par-5 10th hole to make it a 3-point hole, and Rose hit his approach to within 5 feet and sank an eagle putt when Homa missed birdie to seal the match.
“It’s frustrating that we didn’t get it done, but we had a chance,” Woods added. “We should have won the game last night, but they (Los Angeles) took advantage of that and dominated us at the end tonight.
“I’m happy to be back, but I wanted to come back in a better environment!”
Will Tiger be able to play in the Masters after returning to TGL?
Woods has not played a competitive round of golf on the PGA Tour since missing out on the British Open in July 2024, but last month he said it was “unthinkable” he would return for the Masters, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from April 9 to 12.
The five-time Masters champion continues to push for a possible comeback despite only completing a full 72-hole tournament four times in the past five years due to several injury setbacks.
“(My body) doesn’t recover like it did when I was 24 or 25,” Woods said at the post-match press conference. “It’s not like I’m not trying (to come back). I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had some bad injuries here over the last few years that I’ve had to work through and it’s taken time.
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It’s been seven years since Tiger Woods shocked the world by winning the Masters. A look back at his iconic wins from 2019 with a selection of his best shots of the week.
“I keep trying. I want to play. I love tournaments. I’ve loved going to tournaments since I was 19 years old. It’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years. I’m going to go to the Loop and Champions Dinner there either way.”
As for whether Woods will make a decision ahead of Masters week, he added: “I don’t know, but we’ll see. This week I’m going to practice, play at home and keep trying to progress.”
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