The inaugural TGL championship series kicked off with a captivating match between Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club, vying for the SoFi Cup.
Atlanta Drive GC, entering as the third seed, advanced to the championship by defeating The Bay Golf Club. New York GC, seeded fourth, reached the finals after an upset victory over top-ranked Los Angeles GC in the semifinals.
Representing Atlanta were golf stars Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay, while New York featured Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele.
In a closely contested match that went down to the wire, Atlanta secured a 6-5 victory over New York.
Here are the key moments from the exciting match:
Opening Drives by Young and Thomas
The championship began with impressive drives on the first hole from New York`s Cameron Young (330 yards) and Atlanta`s Justin Thomas (338 yards), resulting in a tied hole.
Near Aces from Cantlay and Schauffele
On Hole 3, Patrick Cantlay almost scored a hole-in-one, landing his shot just two feet from the pin, seemingly giving Atlanta an edge. However, Xander Schauffele responded with an equally impressive shot, landing just over three feet away, keeping New York in contention and tying the hole.
Fowler`s Close Chip Shot
In a tense moment on the final hole of triples (Hole 9), Rickie Fowler nearly chipped in a 50-foot shot for New York. Had it gone in, Atlanta would have needed to sink a 28-foot putt to tie. Fowler`s attempt narrowly missed, landing three feet left, and Atlanta managed to secure a tie.
New York 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 hole`s value, and Cameron Young sank a nine-foot putt, putting New York ahead 4-2.
Horschel`s Clutch Putt Ties the Match
New York`s lead was short-lived. On Hole 11, facing a similar situation to Atlanta in the previous hole, Atlanta threw the hammer after Fowler missed a putt. Billy Horschel then delivered under pressure, sinking a crucial near 12-foot putt to even the score at 4-4.
NYGC Reclaims the Lead
New York again demonstrated their ability to capitalize on Atlanta`s errors on Hole 13. Following a missed seven-foot putt by Thomas, Cameron Young confidently sank a three-foot putt, pushing New York back into the lead at 5-4.
Cantlay Clinches Victory for Atlanta
The final hole was decided by two remarkably similar six-foot putts from Cantlay and Schauffele. Patrick Cantlay successfully made his putt, while Xander Schauffele`s attempt narrowly missed, securing a 6-5 victory for Atlanta.
Benedict Kingsley