Billy Horschel of Atlanta Drive GC celebrates his decisive putt against New York GC in the first match of the best-of-three TGL finale in Palm Beacg Gardens, Florida, on Monday. Image courtesy tglgolf.com.
By Rahul Banerji
Down a point with two holes to play, Atlanta Drive GC rallied to beat comeback kings New York Golf Club at their own game and score a 6-5 win in the first match in the best of three TGL presented by SoFi finale in Palm Beach Gardens on Monday.
Third seeds Atlanta and no. 4 seeded New York will line up again in the second final on Tuesday where the former can clinch the inaugural season’s title, the TGL said.
If New York win, the Finals Series will be decided in the third match the following day with matches being shown on ESPN and ESPN+.
After New York declined an Atlanta Hammer throw (challenge) on No. 14 to tie the match 5-5, Patrick Cantlay made birdie at 15 to beat longtime friend and Ryder Cup partner Xander Schauffele and give Atlanta the edge going into Tuesday.
The sold-out crowd appeared to be pro New York, which Justin Thomas didn’t mind one bit.
“It had a little more hostility kind of vibe that I’m sure other athletes deal with on a week-to-week basis,” Thomas said.
“We don’t necessarily get that outside of the team events. It was cool. We wanted to show off a bit and quiet the crowd … it was awesome watching these guys make putts and come through in the clutch when we needed to.”
Timely challenges
While New York only threw one Hammer all night, Atlanta used all three of theirs and earned four total points on the holes in which they put it in play – including two at the par-4 11th, where NYGC accepted a Hammer throw prior to Billy Horschel’s 11-foot birdie try.
Horschel buried it to tie the match 4-4 and celebrated by giving it right back to the pro-New York crowd.
“That was probably my biggest regret, accepting that Hammer when Billy made that putt,” Schauffele said.
New York did make good use of the Hammer with the match tied 2-2. It came with Cameron Young standing over a 9-footer to win the hole and he delivered to give New York a 4-2 lead.
Atlanta can now clinch the SoFi Cup with a win in Match 2, while New York will have to score back-to-back victories Tuesday night to get the job done.
ADGC will use the same players and same hitting orders for Match 2 and Match 3, if necessary, with Thomas first, Horschel second and Cantlay third.
New York will make one tweak to the order in the event they win Match 2 – they have Young first, Fowler second and Schauffele third for Match 2 and Schauffele first, Fowler second and Young third for Match 3.
“I’m sure tomorrow will be on another level on both sides,” Thomas said. “I know we’re gonna bring it and I’m sure they will too.”
Also read: Inaugural TGL season hits high marks as golf broadens horizon
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