The inaugural TGL championship series began with a thrilling match on Monday night, as Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club clashed for the coveted SoFi Cup.
Entering the playoffs as the third seed, Atlanta Drive GC advanced to the championship by defeating The Bay Golf Club. New York GC, seeded fourth, pulled off an upset against top-seeded Los Angeles GC in the semifinals.
Representing Atlanta were golf stars Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay, while Lucas Glover sat out. New York`s lineup featured Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, with Matt Fitzpatrick absent.
In a nail-biting contest that went down to the wire, Atlanta edged out New York with a 6-5 victory.
Here are the standout moments from Monday night`s exciting match:
Young and Thomas Start Championship Play
The championship began with impressive drives on Hole 1 from New York`s Cameron Young and Atlanta`s Justin Thomas, who hit 330 and 338 yards respectively. The hole concluded in a draw.
Cantlay and Schauffele`s Near Hole-in-Ones
On Hole 3, Patrick Cantlay nearly secured an extended lead for Atlanta with a shot landing just two feet from the hole. Xander Schauffele of New York responded with a remarkable shot of his own, landing just over three feet from the hole, giving New York a chance to even the score.
Fowler`s Close Chip Shot
Rickie Fowler almost put pressure on Atlanta in the final hole of triples. On New York`s third shot on Hole 9, Fowler`s chip from 50 feet nearly went in, which would have required Atlanta to sink a 28-foot putt to tie. However, Fowler`s ball ended up three feet left of the hole, and Atlanta secured the tie.
New York GC Takes a Two-Point Lead
A missed third shot by Justin Thomas on Hole 10 opened the door for New York to gain a late advantage. Capitalizing on the opportunity, New York doubled the stakes for the hole, and Cameron Young sank a nine-foot putt, putting New York ahead 4-2.
Horschel`s Crucial Putt Ties the Match
New York`s lead was short-lived. In a reversal of fortune on Hole 11, similar to Atlanta`s situation on Hole 10, a missed putt by Rickie Fowler on his third shot allowed Atlanta to seize their chance. Atlanta doubled the hole`s value, and Billy Horschel delivered under pressure, sinking a putt from approximately 12 feet to tie the match at 4-4.
NYGC Reclaims Lead
New York again demonstrated their ability to capitalize on Atlanta`s errors on Hole 13. Following a missed seven-foot putt by Justin Thomas on his fourth shot, Cameron Young successfully made a three-foot putt, restoring New York`s lead at 5-4.
Cantlay Clinches Victory for Atlanta
The final hole of the match was decided by two near-identical six-foot putts from Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Cantlay successfully made his putt, while Schauffele narrowly missed, securing a 6-5 victory for Atlanta.
