Tomorrow’s Golf League: Rory McIlroy on losing side in latest match amid technical hitch

Two days after his Pebble Beach Pro-Am triumph, Rory McIlroy ended up on the losing side in the latest night of Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) action in Florida which included a technical hitch that forced Tommy Fleetwood to retake a shot.

McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf team were beaten 6-2 by Collin Morikawa’s Los Angeles Golf Club.

Englishman Fleetwood, who had replaced Sahith Theegala in the Boston team for the indoor golf event which features a 64×53-foot screen and rotating green, had to repeat his 167-yard approach shot on the second hole after the technology suggested his ball had moved less than a yard.

“I promise I hit it better than that. I swear I hit it better than that,” said a smiling Fleetwood.

Fleetwood’s team-mate Justin Rose then joked to McIlroy, who along with Tiger Woods is fronting the indoor competition, “Rory, what are you pulling?”.

Following a brief delay, it was determined that there had been an “invalid reading” and Fleetwood was allowed to hit the shot again.

Fleetwood hit his ‘mulligan’ into a greenside bunker but it didn’t prevent Los Angeles from winning the hole as they moved 2-0 up.

Morikawa’s team went on to move into a 5-0 lead before US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley opened Boston’s account by beating Justin Rose in singles on the 12th hole.

However, Los Angeles went on to complete a 6-2 victory in the 15-hole match.

The six-team league event, which began in early January, will take place in Florida each week until a winner is crowned in March.

Matches take place over 15 holes that are split into two sessions – nine holes of three-man alternate shots followed by six holes of singles head-to-head play.