Patrick Cantlay sank a 6-foot Birdie Putt to beat Xander Schauffele on the last hole and lifted Atlanta Drive GC to a 6-5 victory over the New York Golf Club on Monday in the opener of the TGL Championship series on Monday in Palm Beach Gardens, FLA.
The best-three title series will meet the first season of TGL Play on Tuesday, with match 2 to be followed the same night by match 3, if needed. The winning team will divide $ 9 million in prize money.
On the PAR-5 closing hole, no. 15, Schauffele had a chance to match Cantlays Birdie, but he missed his 6-foot putt for Birdie.
New York led 5-4 with two holes to play before Atlantas Billy Horschel hit his tee shot within 5 meters from cup no. 14. New York’s Rickie Fowler was within 9 feet after his tee shot. Atlanta “threw the hammer” and wanted to double the value of the hole, but New York refused to allow a point and equalize the match.
After the team finished triples played 2-2, Cameron Young New York put on top by throwing the hammer and then making a 9-foot eagle putt to the top Justin Thomas for two points on the PAR-5 10th hole.
Horschel leveled the match on the next hole, threw the hammer and then sank a 12-foot birdie putt.
“That in the end … Come to make Putts, and so Billy did the putt that I think was the decisive point,” Cantlay said.
Thomas wondered about the atmosphere in the match, “It was definitely a little more controversial tonight, and I think it will be more of the same tomorrow night.”
Given the second (and possibly) third match in the series, Thomas said: “It’s easy to over -analyze things, but I think at the end of the day we have a pretty grip on what we need to do or how we handle Hammar situations, so just try to keep doing it.”
-Field level media
