Mark Schlabach
The NCAA tournaments aren’t the one brackets offering upsets in March.
The inaugural season of TGL concludes with a best-of-three finals at SoFi Heart in Palm Seaside Gardens, Florida, on Monday and Tuesday.
Fourth-seeded New York Golf Membership surprised high seed Los Angeles Golf Membership 6-4 in final week’s semifinals, and No. 3 Atlanta Drive GC upset No. 2 The Bay Golf Membership 9-3 within the second match.
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New York Golf Membership and Atlanta Drive GC will compete Monday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+) and once more Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN+) for the SoFi Cup because the indoor golf league’s season involves an finish.
If the groups cut up the primary two matches, they’re going to play once more at 9 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN/ESPN+) in a winner-take-all ultimate match.
There’s some huge cash on the road. Golfers on the profitable workforce will share $9 million of the season-long purse of $21 million, whereas the runner-up squad takes residence $4.5 million.
Finals: Atlanta Drive GC (5-1-0) vs. New York Golf Membership (3-2-1)
Finals schedule:
Monday: Match 1, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
Tuesday: Match 2, 7 p.m. ET; Match 3, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN+) (if vital)
Atlanta Drive GC lineup
Justin ThomasBilly HorschelPatrick CantlayLucas Glover (not taking part in in Match 1)
New York Golf Membership lineup
Cameron YoungRickie FowlerXander SchauffeleMatt Fitzpatrick (not taking part in in Match 1)
The groups will announce their lineups for the second match on the conclusion of Monday’s motion.
Singles matches
Thomas vs. YoungHorschel vs. FowlerCantlay vs. Schauffele
New York Golf Membership might be trying to avenge an unsightly 4-0 loss to Atlanta Drive GC on Jan. 21, the primary shutout in TGL historical past.
After Atlanta Drive picked up two factors in 9 holes of triples (alternate shot), Thomas made it 3-0 when he captured some extent in opposition to Younger on the tenth gap of singles. Horschel clinched the match when he collected a fourth level in opposition to Fitzpatrick on the eleventh gap.
Atlanta Drive GC was significantly better on the greens within the first match, making 65 toes of putts, together with a 24-footer from Thomas on the fourth gap. New York Golf Membership made simply 15 toes of putts within the first assembly.
“We have not holed a putt but,” Fitzpatrick mentioned that night time.
Atlanta Drive GC and Atlanta Falcons proprietor Arthur M. Clean watched the primary match between the groups, as did New York Mets and NYGC proprietor Steve Cohen, rapper Ja Rule and two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith.
Atlanta Drive GC by the numbers: Atlanta Drive GC has been dominant in singles matches this season, main the league with 23 factors in these matchups. Horschel leads the league with eight singles factors, whereas Thomas (5-0-5) and Glover (1-0-3) are the one gamers in TGL and not using a singles loss this season.
Atlanta Drive GC ranks second in TGL in strokes gained: ball putting and toes of putts made, whereas coming in fourth in driving accuracy (68.3%) and fifth in greens in regulation (63.3%).
What Horschel says: “J.T. simply is a very aggressive participant, he is all the time pushing the pedal down, all the time making an attempt to hit the good golf shot. He is an unbelievable iron participant and when his iron play’s on, which it’s extremely hardly ever off, it is scary good. After which if the putter will get heat …”
Key to success: If Atlanta Drive GC goes to win the inaugural SoFi Cup, it must proceed its dominant play in singles and proceed to be good with the “Hammer.” Every workforce begins a TGL contest with three Hammers (which will increase the worth of a gap by 1 level when used), which they will use as soon as per gap at any level throughout the 9 triples and 6 singles matches.
Atlanta Drive GC has piled up 13 factors on holes during which a Hammer was thrown, twice as many as some other TGL workforce. Atlanta GC has thrown the second-most Hammers (12) and misplaced the fewest (4).
New York Golf Membership by the numbers: Whereas Atlanta Drive GC has completed a lot of its harm this season in singles, New York Golf Membership’s success has come within the triples competitors. NYGC has gained 17 factors within the alternate-shot format, which is tied for second in TGL. It additionally ranks second behind The Bay Golf Membership with 15 triples holes gained.
With Younger (317.6 yards) and Schauffele (328.1) main the best way, New York Golf Membership ranks second in common driver distance (317.6). Additionally it is second in common driver ball pace (181 mph).
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What Schauffele says: “I do not assume Pat’s going to present me a complete lot of trash speaking again, that is normally a one-way road once we’re collectively. It is virtually inconceivable to not hear Billy if you’re on the market. Billy would be the huge one; do not let him get too fired up or he’ll run throughout you.”
Key to success: New York Golf Membership must maintain its momentum. After dropping its first two matches, NYGC has gone 3-0-1 in its previous 4. Throughout that stretch, it leads TGL in holes gained, factors gained, strokes gained: whole and placing, and toes of putts made.
New York Golf Membership must seize a few factors in triples to present itself some cushion heading into singles, during which Atlanta Drive GC has dominated this season.
