It was always going to be fast with the shot clock and the speed was on full display Tuesday as The Bay Golf Club put the pedal down on New York GC, 9-2, in a match that was never close from the moment Ludvig Åberg rolled in a birdie putt on the first hole to go ahead.

TBGC won four of the next five holes, including one with a Hammer, which provided them with two points and sent them to a 6-0 lead after Hole 8 that would prove too difficult to overcome. They closed out NYGC in Singles by putting up another three points and winning the match after the 10th hole.

Here are my five takeaways from the first match:

1. It was lightning

I watched with my kids, and even they commented on how quickly things were moving. Normally that’s a no-good phrase in golf, used to describe someone who is on tilt at the end of a tournament. In this instance, though, it constantly pushed the night’s narrative forward. It’s difficult to look away when the next shot is just 15 or 20 seconds away.

After attending some of the preseason festivities, including Media Day, I knew it was going to be fast. I just didn’t know how additive that would be to the actual broadcast. The speed made you not want to look away and constantly kept you curious about what would happen next.

2. Opportunity to make superstars swoon

One fun aspect that players spoke about before the season started was that they were excited to have an opportunity to show off. Because the format is match play, there is more of a willingness to take risks.

We saw that a few times on Tuesday – first with a long Åberg putt that left Tiger Woods in disbelief as he looked on.

Later in the match, Matt Fitzpatrick hit a nifty chip that went way past the hole and into the turf before spinning back and coming down the hill close to the cup. It elicited an ovation from Fitzpatrick’s Ryder Cup teammate, Rory McIlroy, who was in attendance.

3. Players looked like they had fun

This sounds so basic, almost silly, but if you have ever watched other events, this is not necessarily a given. Everyone on both sides seemed to be an appropriate amount of loose but also competitive. The chatter was interesting – reading putts, where they were aiming with approach shots – and as noted, the pace of play was quick with the 40-second shot clock.

4. SoFi Center On Display

This is difficult to explain unless you watched the broadcast, but there was also an intimacy there that is unusual for professional sports. Yes, the cameras were closer than a normal golf event, but players also seemed OK with letting down their guard in an authentic way. This really made the match for me.

One underrated thing is that every shot brings about a reaction. In outdoor golf, sometimes the drive or shot is so far away that you cannot totally tell where it ended up.

In SoFi Center? This clip below is Matt Fitzpatrick on the second-to-last hole, down 9-2 in the match, and he’s on his knees on the turf because his ball just missed the ridge. Guys were leaning and wincing and reacting all night because they could see every shot unfold in front of them from up close.

5. Star of the night

Every week, I’ll hand out a star of the night. It may or may not be the best player. Rather, it will always be whoever (or whatever) stood out most to me. Whoever (or whatever) popped the most. This week’s SOTN is, of course, Ludvig Åberg.

He carries himself like an international model, swings it like Adam Scott, and always seems like he’s having a tremendous time no matter what he’s doing or where he’s at. He hit two monster putts, including that one that made Tiger go full hands to the head in disbelief and effectively put the match away early for TBGC. He had the look of a superstar at all times.

A great night for him and a wonderful start for The Bay.