Dallas recap: HyFlyers GC thrill with early upset, end 2024 on positive note
CARROLLTON, Texas – HyFlyers Golf Club wasn’t going to go away with quietly. This was the Team Championship, after all.
The team provided one of the biggest upsets in LIV Golf League history on Friday before ending the week T7 at Maridoe Golf Club, concluding a season with more ups than downs and plenty of reasons to look forward to a successful 2025.
HyFlyers GC came out hot in Friday’s quarterfinal matches. As the No. 12 seed, the team defeated No. 5 Torque GC 2-1 as the foursomes pairing of Captain Phil Mickelson and Brendan Steele provided plenty of late dramatics in defeating the duo of Mito Pereira and Carlos Ortiz 2&1.
That earned a valuable point, and with Andy Ogletree losing 4&3 to Joaquin Niemann, it was up to Cameron Tringale’s singles match against Sebastion Munoz. Tringale did his part and won 3&2 to earn HyFlyers GC two points and advance to Saturday’s semifinals against Legion XIII.
On Friday, Mickelson spoke about Maridoe Golf Club being an ideal match-play golf course, and his team would go on to take advantage of his insights.
“There’s a lot of risk-reward here,” Mickelson said. “There’s a lot of severity of the greens, a lot of opportunities to attack pins and make birdies and very difficult up-and-downs if you don’t pull it off. I feel you’ll have a higher number of scores where you can make birdies and a higher number of bogeys or doubles than a more mundane golf course. I think it allows for more aggressive play, allows for more holes being won and lost, and it sets up very well for match play.”
On Saturday, Tringale faced John Catlin in singles match. Captain Jon Rahm did not play the weekend due to illness and Catlin filled in. Ogletree faced Tyrrell Hatton in the other singles match. In foursomes, Mickelson and Steele once again teamed up and faced Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent.
Unfortunately, HyFlyers GC couldn’t provide upsets in back-to-back days despite a valiant effort from one of the LIV Golf League’s hottest teams. HyFlyers GC lost 2-0 to Legion XIII as Ogletree, who had the lead after six holes, lost to Hatton 5&4 and the Mickelson/Steele duo lost to Surratt and Vincent 4&3. Tringale finished tied with Catlin in a back-and-forth match.
On Sunday, HyFlyers GC was one of four teams in Tier 2, where the highest if could finish was fifth. The team finished T7 and shot 2-under as a team in difficult conditions.
The finish bodes well for 2025 when HyFlyers GC will be one of the top teams to watch and a scary team to face once again at the Team Championship.