Atlanta Drive edge NYGC to seize edge in TGL finals

Patrick Cantlay sank a 6-foot birdie putt to beat Xander Schauffele on the final hole, lifting Atlanta Drive GC to a 6-5 win over New York Golf Club on Monday in the opener of the TGL championship series on Monday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

The best-of-three title series will cap the inaugural season of TGL play on Tuesday, with Match 2 to be followed the same night by Match 3, if necessary. The winning team will split $9 million in prize money.

On the par-5 closing hole, No. 15, Schauffele had a chance to match Cantlay’s birdie, but he missed his 6-foot putt for birdie.

New York led 5-4 with two holes to play before Atlanta’s Billy Horschel hit his tee shot within 5 feet of the cup on No. 14. New York’s Rickie Fowler was within 9 feet after his tee shot. Atlanta “threw the hammer,” looking to double the value of the hole, but New York declined to concede one point, leveling the match.

After the teams finished triples play tied 2-2, Cameron Young put New York on top by throwing the hammer and then making a 9-foot eagle putt to top Justin Thomas for two points on the par-5 10th hole.

Horschel leveled the match on the next hole, throwing the hammer and then sinking a 12-foot birdie putt.

“It ultimately … came down to making putts, and so Billy making that putt I think was the deciding point,” Cantlay said.

Thomas added about the atmosphere at the match, “It was definitely a little more contentious tonight, and I think it will be more of the same tomorrow night.”

Looking ahead to the second (and possibly) third match of the series, Thomas said, “It’s easy to overanalyze things, but I think at the end of the day, we have a pretty grasp of what we need to do or how to handle hammer situations, so just try to keep doing that.”

–Field Level Media