The inaugural TGL championship series kicked off on Monday night with a captivating match between Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club, battling for the coveted SoFi Cup in a best-of-three format.
Atlanta Drive GC, entering as the No. 3 seed, advanced to the championship after defeating The Bay Golf Club. New York GC, the No. 4 seed, caused an upset by overcoming 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 fielded a strong team of Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, with Matt Fitzpatrick absent.
In a nail-biting contest that went down to the wire, Atlanta emerged victorious against New York with a 6-5 scoreline.
Here are the standout moments from Monday night`s exciting match:
Young vs. Thomas: Championship Match Gets Underway
The championship began with impressive drives on Hole 1 from New York`s Cameron Young (330 yards) and Atlanta`s Justin Thomas (338 yards), resulting in a tied hole.
Near Hole-in-Ones by Cantlay and Schauffele
Hole 3 witnessed incredible shots as Patrick Cantlay of Atlanta nearly scored a hole-in-one, followed by Xander Schauffele of New York mirroring the feat. Cantlay`s ball stopped just two feet from the hole, and Schauffele`s landed a mere three feet away.
Fowler`s Close Chip Shot
Rickie Fowler of New York almost executed a remarkable 50-foot chip shot on Hole 9, which could have put pressure on Atlanta. However, the ball ended up three feet left of the hole, and Atlanta secured a 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 seize the lead. Capitalizing on the opportunity, New York doubled the stakes and Cameron Young sank a nine-foot putt, giving his team a 4-2 advantage.
Horschel`s Clutch Putt Ties the Match
New York`s lead was short-lived. On Hole 11, mirroring the previous hole, a missed putt by Fowler allowed Atlanta to seize their chance. Billy Horschel delivered under pressure, sinking a near 12-foot putt to level the score at 4-4.
NYGC Reclaims the Lead
New York continued to capitalize on Atlanta`s errors on Hole 13. Following a missed seven-foot putt by Thomas, Cameron Young capitalized with a three-foot putt, putting New York ahead 5-4.
Cantlay Clinches Victory for Atlanta
The final hole was decided by two near-identical six-foot putts from Cantlay and Schauffele. Cantlay successfully made his putt, while Schauffele narrowly missed, securing a 6-5 victory for Atlanta.
Jasper Hawthorne