TGL finals: Atlanta Drive win Match 1 over NYGC behind Billy Horschel's heroics, Xander Schauffele's lip-out

Atlanta Drive GC grabbed a 1-0 lead over New York Golf Club in the best-of-three series to determine the inaugural TGL champion

The inaugural TGL finals got underway on Monday night as Atlanta Drive GC and New York Golf Club met for the first match in a best-of-three series. When the two teams will reconvene at the SoFi Center on Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, it will be the Drive holding a 1-0 advantage after a wild back-and-forth battle that stands out as the best match of the inaugural TGL season. 

Both teams made it to the finals thanks, in part, to strong hammer strategy, and that played out Monday during the match. Atlanta drew first blood going up 1-0 on the 2nd hole after New York ran a birdie chip 10 feet by the hole, while the Drive had just 4 feet for their par. New York declined the hammer, opting for the early 1-point deficit rather than risking falling behind by two. 

Atlanta doubled its lead on the 4th hole thanks to a friendly bounce after Billy Horschel nearly put a 3 iron in the hazard from 230 yards out only to clear it by a foot and get a friendly forward bounce to 9 feet away for eagle (which Patrick Cantlay rolled into the cup).