Members of the Los Angeles Golf Club celebrate their victory in the WTGL season opener. From left: Alison Lee, Gaby Lopez and Michelle Wie West. [Photo=WTGL]
Members of the Los Angeles Golf Club celebrate their victory in the WTGL season opener. From left: Alison Lee, Gaby Lopez and Michelle Wie West. [Photo=WTGL]

The Los Angeles Golf Club, captained by Michelle Wie West, defeated the New York Golf Club 3-1 in the Women's Tech Golf League season opener.

LA beat the New York Golf Club — led by Lydia Ko — 3-1 Monday (Korean Standard Time) at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. About 1,500 spectators filled the venue to witness the launch of the new women's golf league.

LA fielded Michelle Wie West and Alison Lee of the United States alongside Gaby Lopez of Mexico, while New York countered with Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Rose Zhang of the United States and Linn Grant of Sweden. The match was played over 15 holes. The first nine featured a triples format in which all three players on each team alternated shots, while the final six holes were contested in one-on-one matchups.

The highlight of the day came at the par-3 seventh hole. Wie West's tee shot on the 184-yard par-3 struck the flagstick and came to rest about a meter from the cup — a near hole-in-one that would have been the league's first. Wie West dropped to her knees with her arms raised and her mouth open, visibly stunned by how close the shot had come.

Known by the nickname "SOS," the seventh hole is a virtual course designed by golf legend Annika Sorenstam. Inspired by her native Sweden, the hole features icebergs, a frigid sea and a warship — a setting unlike anything found on a traditional golf course. The design draws on a Swedish warship that sank on its maiden voyage out of Stockholm harbor in 1628.

LA's putting held up under pressure throughout the match. After taking a 2-1 lead into the back nine, LA extended its advantage at the 11th hole when Alison Lee offered a "hammer" — a scoring multiplier — that New York declined, handing LA an additional point. New York then missed a putt on a subsequent chance to close the gap, and the match ended 3-1.

The WTGL is a technology-driven team golf league launched in partnership with the LPGA. It combines simulator-based shot play on large screens with real putting surfaces, and uses rotating greens to create different conditions on each hole. The season opener, complete with music and on-course player conversations, offered a viewing experience far removed from traditional golf broadcasts. Wie West's near-ace and LA's opening victory marked the start of a new era for the sport.


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