Atlanta Drive GC managed to score some revenge for its lone loss of the regular season and after knocking out The Bay Golf Club Tuesday night, it has earned its way to the best-of-three Finals Series to determine the winner of the inaugural SoFi Cup. 

Atlanta Drive defeated The Bay by a commanding 9-3 final score and will take on the New York Golf Club – which upset the No.1-ranked Los Angeles Golf Club Monday night – in the TGL finale. 

“It was a great team win. We all contributed, did what we needed at the right times,” Justin Thomas said. “I think these guys definitely, I think, held us in there tonight in regard to all of us. I was riding (them) hard and doing the best that I could for us — but that’s kind of the fun part about this. You’re able to rely on your teammates and also, they can pick you up a little bit. And we just fight as hard as we can to win the hole and hopefully, it’s enough at the end like it was.”

Atlanta Drive got off to a fast start and was up 2-0 through three holes. The Bay was in a good position on No. 3, but had a poor three-putt from just nine feet to lose the hole. The Bay’s Min Woo Lee then roasted his approach on the par-5 4th from 258 yards to just 16 feet as a solid bounce back. The Bay threw the Hammer but it was declined by Atlanta, giving The Bay its first point of the night. 

The Bay evened the match at two points apiece after Shane Lowry hit his tee shot on the par-3 7th to just 11 feet and after throwing the Hammer, Atlanta Drive decided to decline again. 

Atlanta Drive won hole Nos. 8-9 to close out Triples, however, giving them a 4-2 lead – with both points earned after declined Hammer throws. 

“I think getting off to winning the first two out of three holes is huge, like anything in match play. You want to get the momentum early,” Billy Horschel said. “We had some stuff go in our favour tonight, which sometimes you need… Momentum’s huge in anything and we got it and we held onto it as best we could the rest of the night.”

Atlanta Drive was solid all night but also had a little bit of luck on their side. 

Lowry hit his second shot on the par-5 10th into the penalty area and although Thomas’ approach was also headed towards the penalty area, his ball landed outside the red stakes and bounced aggressively back into play. Thomas made birdie, putting Atlanta Drive up 5-2 with five holes to play. 

The Bay struggled on the greens through most of the match and didn’t make a putt of importance until No. 14 when Lee made a 19-footer to earn a point – with the match already decided. 

“I think that’s golf. I think if you watch the Ryder Cup every two years the team that holes the most putts wins the Ryder Cup. And I think that’s just team golf,” Lowry said. “The team that gets off to the best start generally wins. And the team that holes the most putts. It’s kind of simple. Obviously, you need to keep the destructive shots out which we had a couple tonight.” 

The difference came on the par-3 12th as Patrick Cantlay, after accepting the Hammer from The Bay, hit his tee shot to just three feet and Ludvig Aberg missed the green. Atlanta Drive threw a Hammer of its own and Cantlay won the hole for a total of three points. 

The Bay Golf Club was forced to call in Lee off the bench as Wyndham Clark – who had played all five matches so far this season and was one of TGL’s statistical leaders in most categories – was forced to sit due to a neck injury he suffered at The Players Championship, where he withdrew. 

The regular season was filled with some serious comebacks and thrilling matches, so, it was only fitting that the two underdog seeds defeated the favourites in the semifinals and will now play against each other with the SoFi Cup on the line. 

“Playing for a championship will be something we’re excited for and something we embrace,” Thomas said. 

It has to be Patrick Cantlay, who very much lived up to his “Patty Ice” nickname Tuesday night. 

With the Hammer on the ground, he knocked his tee ball on the par-3 12th to just three feet. Cantlay would go on to earn three points and clinch the match for Atlanta Drive. 

“It’s like the kid doing the school project, you just hope you get the A at the end and you don’t really do as much,” Thomas (who dropped out of the University of Alabama) on Cantlay’s number-crunching ability and Hammer strategy.  

The SoFi Cup Final featuring New York Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC in a best-of-three series. 

Match 1: March 24th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Match 2: March 25th at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Match 3: March 25th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT (if needed