TGL played for the first time on Monday night instead of Tuesday, and it allowed McIlroy, the No. 3 player in the world, time to get a decent night’s sleep—he lives five minutes from the SoFi Center—and then fly to the west coast for the $20 million signature event.

TGL's technology and green have come under criticism early on, but Rory McIlroy said there's a different setup issue that needs addressing.