TGL: Justin Thomas impresses on debut as Atlanta Drive beats Rickie Fowler Matt Fitzpatrick’s New York Golf Club | Golf news
Justin Thomas starred in his TGL debut to help Atlanta Drive GC to a convincing 4-0 win over New York Golf Club in the season opener.
Thomas lined up with fellow former FedExCup champions Billy Horschel and Patrick Cantlay for their first match in the new technology-infused team league, pitting PGA Tour stars against each other inside a purpose-built indoor arena.
The two-time major champion saw his side lead from the first hole and never trailed during the competition at the TGL Sofi Centre, where they claimed two points in the opening nine-hole session which uses an alternative stroke – or three-way format.
The Atlanta Drive won the first two holes in singles to wrap up a convincing victory, where the New York line-up of Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler and Cameron Young became the first team to fail to score a point in a TGL match.
With the win, the Atlanta Drive take two points and move joint top of the SoFi Cup standings, with New York at the bottom of the six-team league after a second straight loss and now fighting to qualify for the playoffs at the end of the season.
Thomas leads Atlanta to a winning start
New York GC immediately fell behind when Young hit his tee shot out of bounds to allow Atlanta Drive to win the hole with par, and Fitzpatrick then missed an eight-foot putt to tie the match at the next.
Young also squandered a golden opportunity to clinch the third as the Atlanta Drive stayed in front when Thomas recovered after losing his footing and hit his drive on the par-five fourth into the box by draining a 25-footer to make par.
Cantlay couldn’t convert a 15-foot putt to win the fifth but saw his side double their lead at the sixth when Thomas knocked his approach to six feet and Horschel chipped in, with the rest of the holes level in the three-way session to leave the Atlanta Drive with 2-0 in singles.
Young failed to get up and down to match Thomas’ birdie at the 10th, while Fitzpatrick conceded at the 11th against Horschel after finding the water with his second and then hitting his next two shots into bunkers.
Thomas hit another long shot for the 13th against Young, who fired a 360-yard putt to leave his approach in give-me range, while Fitzpatrick failed to earn New York their first point when he blazed his birdie at the 14th . .
Atlanta Drive opted against using ‘The Hammer’ for the entire match, giving the team the chance to put their opponents under pressure by doubling the value of the hole, with the exclusion upheld despite Cantlay’s missed birdie opportunity at the last.
Need a boost from New York?
Fowler said, “We’ve just got to find a way to play better than the other team. We’ve been outplayed both times. I don’t think we’ve played too bad, except for our first hole.
“We got off to a rough start, but other than that, there’s no blame here. I missed the green with the chip. Yeah, we dug ourselves a little hole, but I felt like we played decently from there. But the big thing is we’ve got to find a way to get some shots out.”
Young added: “I thought the match was really fun. Obviously it wasn’t the result we wanted, but I feel like it was the best golf I’ve seen watching the other two matches and then ours tonight. It was great, and I think that we will do better next time.”
What’s next?
Rory McIlroy is set to make his TGL debut on Monday when his Boston Common Golf side take on Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club, who defeated Los Angeles GC in the season opener, live from 11.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.
Atlanta Drive GC returns to action with two matches on February 17 against Los Angeles GC (6 p.m.) and The Bay Golf Club (9 p.m.), while New York GC next plays on February 18 against Jupiter Links (19 . February, 12:00 UK time).
Watch every match of the 2025 and 2026 season exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream PGA Tour, majors and more contract-free NOW.
