With Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy absent and no debut match curiosity, TGL needed a spark — or a competitive match — to keep up the hype during its third match. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver, quickly becoming a snooze fest instead.

When Thomas made his second putt of at least 23 feet to halve a hole on No. 13, he said, "we really don't want them to get a point, so that was huge."

T he third TGL match of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's simulator golf league featured something the first two did not: competitiveness. While the opening weeks drew oohs and aahs