Adam Scott Shakes Off a Rough Start as Boston Common Routs New York 9-2 and Clinches a Playoff Spot

Adam Scott missed a four-footer on the very first hole of a Season 2 debut. By the end of the night, the 45-year-old Australian had stacked birdies, beaten Cameron Young twice in Singles and helped turn a franchise that went winless in Season 1 into a playoff team. Boston Common Golf hammered New York Golf Club 9-2 on Tuesday night at SoFi Center, ripping off eight unanswered points after falling behind early and clinching a spot in the postseason.

For New York, it was the second loss of a long night. Hours earlier, New York had fallen 5-3 to The Bay in the first half of the doubleheader, and this one was worse.

A New Look for Boston

Boston came in stinging from its first loss of the season, a defeat to Atlanta Drive GC the night before. Rather than run it back, Boston rolled out a fresh trio: Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott, with Rory McIlroy sitting out. It was the Season 2 debut for both Scott and Matsuyama, and their first look at the revamped GreenZone at SoFi Center.

New York went with Cameron Young, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler. Schauffele and Fowler were pulling a second shift after the loss to The Bay, while Young came in fresh after sitting out the opener.

The memory of Season 1 hung over Boston. A year ago, Boston was the league's punching bag, losing close ones like a 6-3 defeat to Atlanta that sent Atlanta to the playoffs and left Boston watching. Afterward, Bradley and Scott described a green that ran a little slower than it had the night before, though still plenty fast.

New York Strikes First

The opening hole looked like it might be a long night for the newcomers. Scott missed a four-foot par putt, and New York took a 1-0 lead.

Boston answered right away. On No. 2, Boston threw the Hammer, and New York declined, conceding the hole and leveling the match at 1-1. Scott then nearly made up for the opening miss on No. 3, rolling a putt from close to 40 feet that stopped inches short of a lead. The hole was halved.

New York pushed back in front on No. 5, "Craic On." Schauffele put a tee shot inside seven feet, New York threw the Hammer, and Boston declined rather than risk two points. That put New York up 2-1 through five holes, and at that moment the scoreboard looked like a fair fight.

It would be the last time New York led.

Eight Straight Points

Boston birdied No. 6 to tie the match at 2-2, and that was the start of an avalanche. On No. 7, the par-3 "Cenote," Scott stuck a tee shot to about three feet, and Matsuyama rolled in the birdie putt for a 3-2 lead. One hole later, Scott drained an 11-footer for birdie, and Boston was up 4-2.

Then came the cruelest blow of the night for New York. Triples closed on "Big Apple," New York's own Team Hole, and New York made bogey. Boston took the point and a 5-2 lead into Singles. It was the first time all season New York had failed to win a point on its signature hole, and on a night this rough, that felt about right.

Boston's run of five straight holes reached No. 10, where Scott made birdie to beat Young in the opening Singles matchup. That made it 6-2. New York scrambled to halve the next two holes, but the match was slipping away.

New York's last stand ended on No. 13. With a Hammer in play and Scott facing Young again, Scott made birdie, which was worth two points. That pushed Boston to 8-2 and clinched the match with two holes still to play. Boston added one more point over the final two holes to finish at 9-2.

From a four-foot miss on No. 1 to two Singles wins over Young, Scott's night was a lesson in shaking off a bad start. Afterward, Scott credited a driver change for added ball speed and talked about adjusting to a green that rolls faster and is harder to read than last season's. Scott also gave the new hole designs a thumbs-up, saying "I think this is what TGL should really lean into, these kind of peculiar golf holes."

Matsuyama, who did not win a match in Season 1, was gracious about the credit. "These two guys next to me really pulled us through today," Matsuyama said. That undersells a player who made the birdie on Cenote that gave Boston the lead for good.

Bradley, Boston's emotional engine, was already thinking about the celebration. "We're gonna have a Sammy Adams back there and celebrate Boston," Bradley said.

The Numbers Behind the Blowout

Boston won nine points on the night, eight of them coming after New York had taken a 2-1 lead. Boston won five consecutive holes from No. 6 through No. 10, and Scott personally accounted for birdies on No. 8, No. 10 and No. 13.

The Hammer told the story too. Boston threw it on No. 2 and got a concession. New York threw it on No. 5 and got a concession of its own. After that, momentum belonged entirely to Boston, and the two-point birdie on No. 13 was the knockout punch.

New York's two points came on its first-hole win and the Hammer on "Craic On." New York did not win another hole after No. 5.

Standings and Stakes

The stakes for Boston were simple, and Boston handled them. The win moved Boston to 3-1-0 and clinched a playoff berth, which is a remarkable turnaround for a team that went 0-4-1 and finished last in Season 1. Atlanta and Boston are the only teams with three wins this season.

"This year we're just playing so much better. Our team, top to bottom, is just so strong," Bradley said. Hard to argue on this evidence.

New York fell to 1-3-0 after dropping both ends of the doubleheader. The playoff door is not completely shut, but it is barely ajar. Fowler kept the mood light, saying "We've been in a similar position before, and we're still alive, so we can have some fun next week." That is a reference to Season 1, when New York sneaked into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and rode it all the way to the Finals.

Boston closes the regular season Sunday night against Jupiter Links Golf Club, with seeding still on the line. New York finishes Monday against Los Angeles Golf Club, needing a win and plenty of help.

The Takeaway

Boston has quietly become the most complete team in TGL. On a night when its best-known player sat out, Boston rolled out two players making their season debuts and still won by seven. That is roster depth, and in a league where only three players suit up each night, it matters.

There was some star power in the building too. WWE's The Miz took a few swings in the arena before the match and came away humbled. "Sometimes I feel like I can go pro, and then I get a reality check when I hit a ball into that screen," The Miz said. New York could relate by the end of the night.

For Boston, the reality check came last season. This season, the reality is a playoff berth, and a team that looks like it belongs at the top of the bracket.

Full details are on the official TGL match page (opens in a new tab), and the PGA TOUR recap (opens in a new tab) has the hole-by-hole account.

Sources: TGL, PGA TOUR, ESPN, ASAP Sports, Links Nation. More TGL coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: TGL.