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The lineups are set. The holes have been chosen. The inaugural TGL championship is here, and it is promising to be a good one. After an upset-filled semifinal round that saw the regular-season champion Los Angeles Golf Club bow out and No. 2 seed The Bay Golf Club fail to show up, the championship features a pair of unsuspecting squads.
Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Billy Horschel of Atlanta Drive Golf Club will put their overall record of 5-1-0 on the line starting Monday night when they take on New York Golf Club’s finest in Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young. After sneaking into the postseason, New York has continued its momentum winning three straight matches after a sluggish start to the year.
The teams will compete in a best-of-three series across two nights where a champion will finally be crowned at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
It is no coincidence that the two teams meeting in the championship happen to be the most effective at using the hammer. Accounting for nearly 50% of the points won since the league switched the rules midseason, the hammer has a way of winning (or losing) a match for one side.
Both Atlanta and New York have won 83% of its hammer throws this year with New York tossing six and Atlanta doubling that total with 12. Atlanta likes to use this mechanism during singles — where it is the best team in the league — while New York takes a wait-and-see approach.
The hammer will play a factor, but these team’s stars will need to show up as well. All six players appear to be in fine enough form and sets up for an exciting conclusion to the inaugural TGL season.
Where to watch TGL championship
Location: SoFi Center — Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Match 1
Date: Monday, Mar. 24 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Match 2
Date: Tuesday, Mar. 26 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Match 3 (if necessary)
Date: Tuesday, Mar. 26 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
TGL format
TGL matches take place across 15 holes and two sessions. Players hit full-swing shots off grass, rough or sand into a simulator screen with short-game shots under 50 yards and putts taking place inside the SoFi Center on a rotating, adjustable green. There are a few added wrinkles as well including timeouts, a shot clock and a hammer, so let’s dive into them all.
- Holes Nos. 1-9 — Triples (3 vs. 3 alternate shot): Two teams of three face off in alternate shot across the first session. This rotation continues until the hole is complete.
- Holes Nos. 10-15 — Singles (head-to-head play): After nine holes of Triples, players take to Singles, which is exactly what it sounds like. An individual from one team will play a hole against an individual from the other with the winner earning a point. All three players will play a hole before the cycle begins again on hole Nos. 13-15.
- Overtime: 3 vs. 3 closet-to-the-pin competition
- Scoring: Each hole is worth one point with ties worth zero. There are no carryovers.
- The Hammer: Each hole in a TGL match is worth one point unless a team decides to literally throw the “hammer” (not an actual hammer), which doubles the point value of that hole. A team can either accept the hammer and play that hole for two points or deny it and concede the hole. Each time has three hammers to use throughout the match.
- Shot clock: Players have 40 seconds to hit their shots or face a one-stroke penalty.
- Timeouts: Each team has four timeouts per match — two in Triples and two in Singles. There are no carryovers from session to session.
TGL playoff results
- Semifinal 1 — New York GC (No. 4): 6 | Los Angeles Golf Club (No. 1): 4
- Semifinal 2 — Atlanta Drive GC (No. 3): 9 | The Bay Golf Club (No. 2): 3
TGL championship odds, predictions
- Atlanta Drive GC: -126
- New York GC: -106
Atlanta has been the pick all season long, and lo and behold, they find themselves in the championship bout. They use the hammer most effectively and are not only the smarter team but the more cohesive as well. All three players are playing well at the moment, and this is their title to lose.
