TGL's 2nd season starts with clutch Billy Horschel putt | D'Angelo
Tom D'Angelo- Billy Horschel secured a win for Atlanta Drive against New York Golf Club with a 37-foot eagle putt.
- This was the second time Horschel made a match-winning putt against New York, following a similar situation in last season's championship.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Billy Horschel of the Atlanta Drive and New York Golf Club's Matthew Fitzpatrick were walking off the green at SoFi Center, arms around each other, when Fitzpatrick turned to his TGL nemesis.
"Do it to someone else," he said.
For the second time in two matches spanning two seasons, Horschel made a long, winding putt to put away New York.
The one for an eagle on the par 5 15th and final hole in the Dec. 28 Season 2 opener with the match tied, was much longer - at 37-feet. But certainly not as impactful as the 18-footer on No. 14 nine months ago that essentially sealed Atlanta's championship.
"That one in the final won us a championship, or at least got us into the last hole to win a championship," said Horschel, whose celebration for Game 1 of this season was much more subdued than the one that became the signature moment of Season 1.
"This gets us off to a good start. When you only play five matches, you need to get off to a good start and get a win under your belt, and we did that."
Horschel's putt — the second longest in TGL history — left Jupiter's Xander Schauffele attempting to answer and nearly pulling it off. Schauffele's 15-footer was less than an inch off line,
"The guy is really good at this stuff," Schauffele said after Atlanta's 6-4 victory. "Kudos to him. That was a hell of a putt."
And a hell of an opener.
TGL Season 2 starts much the same way Season 1 ended
TGL's Season 2 is off to a strong start after a successful debut season.
The day started with the first TGL banner being raised in SoFi Center signifying Atlanta's championship, and ended with Drive owner Arthur Blank once again hugging Horschel.
In between was the typical trash talk and strategizing — and drama — that resonated in Season 1.
It also saw Atlanta being forced to call in two alternates with Corey Conners and Chris Gotterup making their TGL debuts filling in for Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover, both of Jupiter.
Conners, for one, echoed what we heard from most of the 24 competitors after Season 1.
"It was a blast," said the Canadian who now lives in Jupiter. "The atmosphere in there was electric. Really cool being a part of a team. Brought me back to my younger days playing hockey and other sports. … That was a fun feeling."
Conners and Gotterup both learned in the last three days they would be called up from TGL's pool of reserve players to help Atlanta start defense of its title.
Gotterup's day started with him breaking his driver during warmups, having someone run to Conner's car to fetch his backup driver and Gotterup putting his first drive with Conner's club in the bunker.
Gotterup decided at that point he would forgo a driver, and it worked out OK. He hit the first shot of Season 2 with a mini driver, a club smaller than a traditional driver but larger than a 3-wood, and striped his drive 295 yards into the fairway.
He hit a 5-iron off the tee on one par-5, followed by a 6-iron and a wedge.
"I would have never done that if I had my driver, and I ended up winning the hole so maybe it was on purpose," Gotterup said.
Injured Justin Thomas trash talks Xander Schauffele during TV cameo
Atlanta will continue its defense for much of the season without Tequesta's Justin Thomas, who is recovering from back surgery.
Thomas spent time in the ABC TV booth as part analyst, part antagonist. Especially to Schauffele.
Thomas at one point reminded Schauffele he was not on top of his game, taking aim at a 3-wood Schauffele chunked.
"I love the way you're hitting that 3-wood," he said with Schauffele listening through his earpiece.
Schauffele, who lives in Jupiter, agreed. "My teammates are carrying me," he said.
After Atlanta threw The Hammer on No. 9, doubling the hole's value, Schauffele was convinced New York could win the hole and should accept The Hammer, rather than decline and forfeit just one point.
Conners' chip to inside a foot won the hole, and two points, for Atlanta.
"(They) fully convinced themselves they made the right decision," Thomas said. "I loved seeing Xander was in the wrong there."
The hole gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead heading into singles (the final six holes) before Horschel replicated the drama of last season's final.
"When you come into something like this that's completely different, something you couldn't imagine, it brings sort of a kid-like atmosphere, something brand new, something fun to be a part of," Horschel said.
"And to see the way it turned out … we're going to have just as much or (more) success in Season 2."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.