Billy Horschel raised his right hand, pointed to the stands, and smiled with the putter still in his hand. Nine months after that decisive putt that gave Atlanta Drive GC the inaugural title, the American did it again: he holed an eagle from just over 11 metres on the 15th hole, defeated Xander Schauffele, thwarted the comeback of New York Golf Club, and gave Atlanta the victory in the opening of the second season of the TGL.
BILLY IS BACK pic.twitter.com/eLgFzuyxDI
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 28, 2025
The outcome was identical to last season’s final. A kind of cruel joke for New York. A match with twists and Atlanta stepping up in the decisive stretch. “I thought: ‘Just get it to the hole, give it a chance’. From a metre and a half away, it looked pretty good… I’ve done it to them again,” joked Horschel after the match.
Atlanta wins the duel… even with a “makeshift” team
The victory has a context that makes it more remarkable: Atlanta came into the match with the lineup in disarray. Chris Gotterup and Corey Conners came in as emergency substitutes for Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover, while Justin Thomas remains sidelined after surgery. In theory, the first two were also absent due to different physical issues. Would they have played if it were a PGA Tour event? Who knows…
And the script had one more twist: just before starting, Gotterup broke the driver. Emergency solution: he played with Conners’ spare driver and still delivered a perfect opening drive to start the season. More laughs. It’s not competition, it’s just entertainment. For those who find it entertaining.
The Hammer remains Atlanta’s weapon
The match started with an exchange of pars and everything sped up on the 4th hole, the par 5 “Fore-0-Fore”, the end of the Triples block (each of the three players takes a shot alternately, a threesome foursome). Atlanta launched the Hammer at the exact moment: New York accepted, and Conners nailed the shot from 89 yards to less than two metres. Horschel holed the birdie, and Atlanta went into the break before the singles with 3-1.
It’s no coincidence: Atlanta was the team that best handled the Hammer last year and showed again why they often launch it even in seemingly innocuous situations, forcing uncomfortable decisions on the opponent. With Cantlay off the field, his role was different: he acted as an advisor from the stands. He experienced it alongside Thomas.
New York’s comeback until “Big Game Billy” appeared
New York did not give up. In fact, their reaction was commendable. It was the first match on free-to-air television (ABC) and in the evening slot, with two NFL games coinciding.
In the final stretch, NYGC tightened the score:
– Cameron Young holed a 7-metre eagle on the 13th hole.
– Matt Fitzpatrick made a birdie and tied the match on the 14th with a long putt (just over six metres), leaving the clash 4-4 heading into the final hole.
That’s when the shot that defines matches appeared… and defines Horschel in this league. On the par 5 of the 15th, with the Hammer launched, Horschel holed the eagle from over eleven metres. Immediately after, Schauffele missed his putt to the right, and Atlanta sealed the victory. It’s the second-longest putt holed in TGL history.
Banner, Thomas in the booth, and a debut with a show vibe
The day had its rituals: before the match, the 2025 Atlanta championship banner was raised, in true NBA style. Justin Thomas, present despite his absence, appeared on set and during the broadcast, adding his spice: “Being the inaugural winner carries a lot of weight. They can’t take that banner away from us.”
New: “Team Holes” with local identity
Another highlight of the debut was the introduction of the new regional Team Holes. New York, for example, debuted its team hole, “Big Apple”, with the skyline and Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. The TGL has incorporated six themed holes for 2026, and each team will always play their Team Hole in their matches.
Upcoming matches
Atlanta plays again on 6 January against The Bay Golf Club (17:00 ET / 23:00 in mainland Spain). New York will face Jupiter Links Golf Club on 13 January (19:00 ET / 01:00 on the 14th in Spain). The next league match is on 2 January: Boston Common Golf vs Los Angeles Golf Club (19:00 ET / 01:00 on 3 January in Spain). Tiger Woods will not play for now. We’ll see when Rory McIlroy joins.
