Bay Golf Club won the debut TGL match… and used the Hammer for the first time.
Brennan Asplen/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images
Tuesday night saw the debut of the new TGL golf leagueand with it a host of innovations not seen on the PGA Tour. From hours of shooting, to a great simulator and a trio format, viewers were treated to a new form of the ancient game. Did we mention it all happened indoors?
But one of the most interesting features presented in the TGL’s inaugural match it was “The Hammer”. Here’s everything you need to know about the new rule.
What is TGL’s Hammer and how does it work?
Physically, the Hammer is a yellow-orange piece of cloth shaped like a Thor-like hammer. But here we are more concerned with what it represents and how it is used.
The team in possession of the hammer is allowed to drop it on any hole. When thrown and accepted, the total point of the hole increases by one. While holes normally count for 1 point, the Hammer increases the points to 2.
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If the hammer is dropped before the start of the hole, the opposing team must concede it. However, if any other shot is dropped, the opposing team has the option to decline it, but if they do, they also lose the hole.
You can imagine a situation where a team knew they were going to lose the hole, so by rejecting the Hammer they limit their opponents to 1 point instead of 2.
Either way, once it is thrown, possession of the hammer automatically passes to the other team.
Although we didn’t see it happen during the inaugural TGL match, on rare occasions the Hammer can be thrown into a hole multiple times.
How Hammer was used in TGL’s debut
The first official use of the Hammer occurred on the 3rd hole of the debut match between Bay Golf Club and New York Golf Club.
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Bay Golf Club began the Hammer match after winning a coin toss, and when TBGC player Wyndham Clark had a seven-footer for birdie on hole No. 3, he dropped the hammer hoping to earn his team an extra point. And he did. Clark drained the birdie to improve his team’s lead from 1-0 to 3-0.
When the teams reached the 7th hole, NYGC, now trailing 6-0, still had possession of the Hammer. TBGC’s Shane Lowry rose to hit his shot, but before he could, NYGC’s Xander Schauffele dropped the hammer at his feet. You can see the moment below.
Lowry accepted Hammer’s challenge but both teams ended in a draw so no points were awarded and the score remained 6-0.
This was the last time the Hammer was used on the first night of TGL’s existence. In the end, TBGC was able to maintain their big lead and finish NYGC with a final score of 9-2.
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