Billy Horschel delivers winning putt again at TGL to keep Atlanta Drive GC undefeated
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TGL highlights: Atlanta Drive defeats The Bay in Match No. 3
Written by TGL Staff
Billy Horschel does not miss with the match on the line. For the third time in his last three outings at SoFi Center, Horschel drained a decisive putt to give Atlanta Drive GC its seventh consecutive victory on Tuesday in a 7-4 win over The Bay Golf Club in a rematch of the semifinals last season.
This one wasn’t as dramatic as his 17-footer to win the 2025 finals, or that walk-off eagle in the first match of 2026. But Tuesday’s 7-footer for birdie at No. 13 moved the defending champions to 2-0 and put Atlanta firmly in control as it looks to go back-to-back in Season 2.
Billy Horschel drains putt to give Atlanta Drive another TGL victory
“We ham-and-egged it really well,” said Horschel, who pointed to a pair of chip-ins from Patrick Cantlay and alternate Chris Gotterup to keep the match close in Triples. “Those are two valuable holes when you look at the night and how it all played out. Really solid night.”
Atlanta outscored The Bay 4-2 in Singles to close the door and now has a +25 point differential in the history of the one-on-one format inside SoFi Center.
Horschel was glad to see Cantlay back in the lineup as the team’s de facto Hammer expert – Atlanta led the league in Hammer point differential a year ago and used it to its advantage once again Tuesday. The team declined three Hammer throws from The Bay to avoid a two-point swing and picked up two points of their own.
Atlanta went up 5-3 at No. 12, "Cenote," after The Bay declined a Hammer rather than trying a 9-foot par putt with just three holes to play.
LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson was in the building and took a few cracks at "Cenote" earlier in the afternoon on a day the league announced the formation of WTGL, featuring LPGA stars competing at SoFi Center beginning in late 2026.
“I think it’s very exciting,” Thompson said. “The women’s game is moving in the right direction. To see the women involved at such an early stage of TGL, I think it’s going to do nothing but great things.”
Lexi Thompson hints at what's to come for WTGL
More unorthodox holes like "Cenote" have been a welcome addition this season, along with the par-4 "Stinger." Gotterup showed off his versatility there Tuesday, becoming only the second player this season to hit a successful stinger under the overhanging rock and into the fairway. He couldn’t have flighted it much better with the same 1-iron he used to win the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, and he gave Atlanta a 4-3 lead with a par after Ludvig Åberg avoided the rock but missed right and into the penalty area.
Chris Gotterup hits rare 1-iron on 'Stinger' hole at TGL
The Bay did tie the match at 3 at No. 10, as Shane Lowry handed Horschel a rare loss with a Hammer throw that Atlanta declined.
Trailing 3-2, The Bay looked poised to tie the match on the final hole of Triples with Atlanta facing a 40-foot chip and Clark looking at a 5-footer for birdie. Cantlay holed out – using teammate Justin Thomas’ wedge that he’s grown fond of – for a huge tie to keep Atlanta ahead entering Singles.
Patrick Cantlay stays hot, chips-in at TGL
Atlanta trailed 2-1 through five holes but regained the lead with wins at No. 6 and No. 8. Atlanta evened the match at the sixth, "Alpine," where a 333-yard drive from Wyndham Clark and a 6-iron to 9 feet from Lowry had The Bay in prime position. Gotterup was standing over an awkward chip with both feet in the bunker and the ball perched on the lip. He drained it for birdie, and Atlanta threw the Hammer for the first time, with the Bay declining to make it 2-2.
Chris Gotterup chips-in from gnarly lie at TGL
“It was a lot of luck involved,” Gotterup said. “I was standing over it for a second, we had to call timeout because I didn’t know what I was going to do. Sometimes you get lucky in this game ... you take it when you can.”
At "Temple," a demanding par-4 playing as the eighth, Gotterup hit a perfect drive over the pinched portion of the fairway while Åberg missed wide left into the penalty area. Clark then went for the green on their third shot and missed short in the penalty area as The Bay made a mess of things.
“You guys have any mulligans?” Horschel chirped.
The Bay conceded the hole to fall behind 3-2.
The two teams traded points in the early going with Hammers flying. Gotterup gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead with a 9-foot par make at the second, but conceded the lead at the next hole when declining a Hammer to make it a tie match. Atlanta declined another Hammer from The Bay at the fourth to make it 2-1, The Bay.
TGL continues at 7 p.m. ET next Tuesday, Jan. 13, as Tiger Woods makes his return to SoFi Center. He’ll be in attendance and mic'd up to help Max Homa, Kevin Kisner and Jupiter Links Golf Club alternate Akshay Bhatia take on New York Golf Club’s Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler.
Atlanta (2-0) returns to action against Jupiter at 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, while The Bay (0-1) looks to bounce back at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 9 against Los Angeles Golf Club.
