I’m Luke Mangan. You don’t know me, but that’s okay. I’m a writer in the golf space, an LAGC fan, and I got to see the guys in action for the first time last night.

I’ll admit, I was late to the TGL presented by SoFi party. I couldn’t have really explained the league to you fully after Season 1 — then I started to do my research and saw that it had the bones of a real sports league with real drama and star power and super advanced tech.

I’ve been following along with LAGC since then, so when I got the opportunity to watch them live, I jumped all over it.

Here are my thoughts on TGL and last night’s match:

The Arena

Sure, the SoFi Center is not huge. But it’s an awesome venue with a really intimate feel — there’s not a single bad seat in the house.

Everything tech-related was done with extreme excellence. The screen, the graphics, the animations, the cameras, the tracking… world class.

The Live Entertainment

Are you the type of person who thrives in the moment when you get pulled out of the crowd to compete? Or to shoot a half-court shot?

The event staff came up to my friends and me to see which one of us wanted to play a music-themed game out on the green during a commercial break. Ultimately, she plucked me from the crowd.

Unfortunately, they pulled me to do a Florida-themed “Finish the lyric” game that consisted of Free Falling by Tom Petty and then two Pitbull songs. I tried telling them I was an LAGC fan, and rightfully EMPLOYED by LAGC. They said, no worries, just go out there and sing some songs.

So with complex lyrics like “FIREBALL,” “I’m freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” and “Welcome to my house,” I miraculously went 3/3.

Roger Steele and I had a quick chat before the game — nice guy, that one. He was an excellent host that provided great filler between golf holes.

The Play

LAGC got a much needed win. I don’t think they could afford to start the season 0-2, especially considering they were statistically the best team in the league in the first season.

Outside of an errant tee shot on Cenote by Theegala, LAGC played a relatively mistake-free round. It seemed like Jupiter couldn’t make a mistake without getting punished for it.

Their strategy was sound, baiting Jupiter Links into accepting an early Hammer, resulting in a 2-0 lead for LAGC after hole #2.

I, of course, didn’t see this one, as I was prepping for my big performance.

Later, while LAGC had built up a decent lead, Jupiter tried to throw the Hammer to steal a couple points back, but LAGC wisely declined. So it was a mix of sound play and great strategy that allowed LAGC to build and keep the lead. Sound play, great strategy, and of course, the shot of a lifetime…

Rosey’s Albatross

This was the moment of the night. Justin Rose was sitting 225 yards out, and he went with an easy 4-iron (an easy 4-iron does not go 225 for yours truly). A perfectly straight shot landed about 15 feet in front of the pin, and rolled right in.

The TGL crowd is a relatively relaxed one, taking in some incredible golf, enjoying the space, maybe sipping on a drink. All that chill went out the window when Rosey’s ball rolled in.

Everybody on their feet, hootin’ and hollerin’. Rosey said himself that it was his first albatross, though he’s not sure his long-time caddie Mark Fulcher will give him credit for it.

My Player Rankings

Each player had their moments, but here are my top performers, in order:

1. Justin Rose

2. Collin Morikawa

3. Sahith Theegala

4. Akshay Bhatia

5. Max Homa

6. Kevin Kisner

I don’t do this just to put all the LAGC guys up top, all the Jupiter guys at the bottom. Justin Rose had an albatross, so he gets #1 on the list. Collin and Sahith both played about equally well, but Sahith had a penalty, so I’ll knock him.

You could argue that because of Theegala’s penalty, Akshay could sneak into the 3rd spot.

Max putt really well and had a big time shot that led to a rejected Hammer from LAGC and a point for Jupiter, but he had a few errant shots off the tee and continually found the bunkers. Kisner didn't have his best performance.

To Conclude

All in all, great time out there in Palm Beach, and I’ll be looking forward to catching LAGC in their next match against The Bay Golf Club on Monday, February 9 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

About the Author: Luke Mangan

A product of the "post-college I must get better at golf" philosophy, Luke fell in love with the game on municipal courses across Los Angeles. After what most would call a failed early career in sales, Luke found writing as an outlet to tell stories and bring joy to his readers. He now writes for several golf brands and has his own golf newsletter, On Golf.