Standing on the synthetic putting surface inside the SoFi Center a few hours before the night’s match begins, I squat down behind my ball to assess the break. From this vantage point, it’s immediately clear the challenge that TGL players face. The subtleties of the green’s slopes and texture are difficult to see, especially with industrial spotlights shinning down on the playing surface. (Tom Kim provided proof of this during the league’s fourth match on January 27, when he did his best impression of Camilo Villegas, circa 2006, literally laying down behind the ball to determine the break of a putt on the 8th hole.)
Even though I’m staring down a 12-foot putt, I decide it’s best to not give the hole away. I put a good stroke on the ball, then watch as it gets about halfway to the hole and gradually begins falling to the right. As the balls slows down, it breaks even more around the cup. All told, my putt finishes hole high but almost three feet wide of the target.
