The inaugural TGL championship series kicked off with a captivating match on Monday night, where Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club clashed for the coveted SoFi Cup in the first of a best-of-three series.
Atlanta Drive GC, entering as the No. 3 seed, earned their championship berth by defeating The Bay Golf Club. New York GC, the No. 4 seed, pulled off an upset against top-seeded Los Angeles GC in the semifinals, setting the stage for this exciting final.
Representing Atlanta were golf stars Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay, while Lucas Glover sat out. New York fielded a strong team with Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, with Matt Fitzpatrick as inactive.
In a nail-biting contest that went down to the wire, Atlanta emerged victorious with a 6-5 scoreline against New York.
Key Moments from the Match:
Opening Drives: Young vs. Thomas
The championship began with impressive drives on Hole 1 from New York`s Cameron Young and Atlanta`s Justin Thomas, hitting 330 and 338 yards respectively. The hole concluded in a draw.
Near Hole-in-Ones by Cantlay and Schauffele
Drama unfolded on Hole 3 when Patrick Cantlay nearly scored a hole-in-one, positioning Atlanta to extend their lead. Moments later, Xander Schauffele mirrored the feat for New York, aiming to tie the score. Cantlay`s shot stopped just two feet from the hole, while Schauffele`s was a mere three feet away.
Fowler`s Close Chip Shot
Rickie Fowler almost applied pressure on Atlanta during the final hole of triples. His impressive 50-foot chip shot on Hole 9 for New York nearly forced Atlanta to sink a challenging 28-foot putt to maintain a tie at 2-2. Unfortunately for New York, Fowler`s ball landed three feet left of the hole, allowing Atlanta to secure the tie.
New York Takes a Two-Point Lead
A missed third shot by Justin Thomas on Hole 10 provided New York with an opportunity to seize a late lead. Capitalizing on this, New York doubled the stakes of the hole. Cameron Young then confidently sank a nine-foot putt, propelling New York to a 4-2 advantage.
Horschel`s Clutch Putt
New York`s lead was short-lived. In a reversal of fortune on Hole 11, Atlanta found themselves in a similar position as New York on the previous hole. Following a missed putt by Rickie Fowler on his third shot, Atlanta seized the moment, doubled the hole value, and Billy Horschel delivered under pressure, sinking a near 12-foot putt to level the match at 4-4.
NYGC Reclaims Lead
New York demonstrated their ability to capitalize on Atlanta`s errors once more on Hole 13. After Justin Thomas missed a seven-foot putt on his fourth shot, Cameron Young calmly sank a three-foot putt, putting New York back in the lead at 5-4.
Cantlay Clinches Victory for Atlanta
The final hole of the match culminated in a tense showdown with near-identical six-foot putts for both Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Cantlay held his nerve and sank his putt, while Schauffele narrowly missed, sealing a 6-5 victory for Atlanta.
