The inaugural TGL championship series kicked off Monday night with a thrilling first match. Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club faced off for the SoFi Cup in the first of a best-of-three series.
Atlanta Drive, the No. 3 seed, 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. Lucas Glover was not in the lineup for this match. New York featured Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, with Matt Fitzpatrick sitting out.
In a nail-biting match that went down to the wire, Atlanta secured a 6-5 victory over New York.
Exciting Start: Young vs. Thomas
The championship began with impressive drives on the first hole by New York`s Cameron Young and Atlanta`s Justin Thomas. Young drove 330 yards, while Thomas responded with a 338-yard drive. The hole ended in a draw.
Near Hole-in-Ones from Cantlay and Schauffele
Hole 3 saw incredible shots from both teams. Patrick Cantlay of Atlanta nearly made a hole-in-one, landing his shot just two feet from the pin. Xander Schauffele of New York followed with a remarkable shot of his own, placing it just over three feet from the hole, giving New York a chance to tie.
Fowler`s Close Chip Shot
In the final hole of the triples portion, Rickie Fowler of New York almost sank a long 50-foot chip shot. If successful, it would have put pressure on Atlanta, requiring them to make a 28-foot putt to tie. Fowler`s attempt narrowly missed, landing three feet to the left, and Atlanta managed to secure the tie.
New York Takes a Two-Point Lead
A missed third shot by Justin Thomas on Hole 10 opened the door for New York. They capitalized by doubling the stakes of the hole, and Cameron Young then sank a nine-foot putt, giving New York a 4-2 lead.
Horschel Responds with Clutch Putt
New York`s lead was short-lived. In Hole 11, Atlanta found themselves in a similar situation to New York in the previous hole. After Rickie Fowler missed a putt, Atlanta seized the opportunity, doubled the hole value, and Billy Horschel made a crucial near 12-foot putt, tying the match at 4-4.
NYGC Reclaims Lead
New York again took advantage of an Atlanta mistake on Hole 13. Following a missed seven-foot putt by Justin Thomas, Cameron Young successfully made a three-foot putt, putting New York ahead 5-4.
Cantlay Clinches Victory for Atlanta
The final hole was decisive. Both Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele faced near-identical six-foot putts. Cantlay successfully made his putt, while Schauffele narrowly missed, securing a 6-5 victory for Atlanta.
