The First TGL Semifinal Was Hysterical Thanks To Keegan-Michael Key

The TGL semifinal matchup between New York Golf Club and Los Angeles Golf Club was an absolute thriller, with New York winning 8-3 in a game that was closer than the score suggested. But it was also hilarious thanks to Keegan-Michael Key.

On Monday night, the two golf clubs vied for a spot in the inaugural TGL championship. At halftime of the match, New York held a slight 3-2 advantage, and that’s when ESPN's Marty Smith brought in Penn State head football coach James Franklin to give the leaders some advice.

Okay, it wasn’t actually Franklin. But Key certainly did his best impression of the Nittany Lions’ skipper.

"I would tell these guys to make sure keep their phenomenal spirits up…stay locked in the entire time, and just be teammates to each other, this is now a team game, not an individual game, okay?" Key said.

The facial expressions. The voice inflections. The "okay" at the end. All of that was perfect.

If you’re wondering why Key did this in the first place, there’s a simple example. He’s an avid Nittany Lions fan, and he loves the TGL. When his worlds collided, he took full advantage of it.

It turns out that New York followed his advice to perfection. The team of Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Young held a 6-3 lead going into Hole 14, which thanks to the Hammer rule was worth two points. If New York won the whole, they’d win the match; if Los Angeles won, they’d continue to the final hole.

Tommy Fleetwood had a chance to win the hole for his club, but his putt rimmed out at the last second. 

Turns out Franklin - excuse me, Key - knows just what to say to get a team across the finish line.