The stage was set. The first TGL final was going on between Atlanta Drive and New York Golf Club. And then, the dramatic thing happened, resulting in a 6-5 win for Justin Thomas’s team. “I think all of us are a little amped up right now but also ready to go to sleep,” said Justin Thomas, post that win. So, what was that dramatic thing, and why did Xander Schauffele’s team lose? Well, let’s quickly go through it.

This loss for Xander Schauffele’s team had everything to do with the hammer and himself. During the 11th hole, Schauffele’s team was leading by 2, thanks to Cameron Young’s winning shot against Justin Thomas. However, Atlanta Drive threw in the hammer for the Billy Horschel – Rickie Fowler H2H game. Schauffele decided to accept it, consequently sealing the fate of his team. Had he not done so, the team score would have been 4-3. Horschel made his score, and thus Atlanta took the Monday night win.

Additionally, New York had a final chance at winning when Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay went H2H. Then, Cantlay made a 6-ft birdie putt on the final single hole. Schauffele had an opportunity to tie the match with a similar 6-foot birdie putt, but his attempt lipped out. And this particular loss seemed to be the topic of conversation at the TGL press conference.

The interviewer suggested Xander Schauffele “trash talking” as part of his game strategy for the next time the two teams will play against each other. So, what does Xander Schauffele say? “Not really, to be completely honest. I’m just trying to get in a good spot to throw the hammer. This was probably one of the most serious matches we’ve played.”

This hammer was one of the reasons Schauffele’s team lost the first TGL final. And the regret was obvious when Schauffele earlier admitted, “Cam did a lot of the dirty work to win us two points, which is a hard thing to do against them, and for us to give it right back, that’s probably my biggest regret was accepting that hammer where Billy made that putt.”

Xander Schauffele continued his statement. “You can tell everyone was trying to win, and them being up one is a big advantage, but in my eyes and I’m sure these boys and our team, we lost our first two matches, so this technically isn’t something that we’ve haven’t already faced this exact season. It’ll be a fun go tomorrow.” Undoubtedly, the cold challenge has been laid. And it makes sense.

New York Golf Club’s latest close win performance came at the first TGL semifinal match. Then, the team played against the Los Angeles Golf Club and registered a solid win of 6-4. We have to wait to see the magic here, but, hey, how did the rest of the final round go? Young outperformed Thomas on the 13th, giving his team a lead of 5-4. However, Atlanta bounced back on the 14th hole with Horchel’s impressive tee shot on a par-3. New York chose not to accept Atlanta’s hammer throw, resulting in a tie in the final hole.

As intense as this particular moment sounds, it was not the only drama during the first TGL final. And it has everything to do with Justin Thomas’s competitive nature and the crowd’s behavior post the match.

Justin Thomas has things to say about the New York Golf Club

If there’s one person other than Scottie Scheffler who is pretty open about his competitive nature, it is Justin Thomas. Back in 2022, Thomas was getting ready to be a part of the upcoming TGL match in January–an event that didn’t take place until this January. And it was then that the golfer shared his opinion about team play. And it was quite interesting. “Team golf events have always been highlights throughout my career as the us-vs.-them mentality fuels my competitive spirit.” 

And that’s why it’s no surprise the golfer seemed to have taken personal offense when the crowds at TGL seemed to cheer more for the losing team than the winning one, aka Atlanta Drive. “I kind of felt like the loser at school tonight. Like we had everybody against us. I said to Rick, I was like, did you guys fly these people in, or where is it from? He didn’t disclose that, so it kind of makes me think they had a little something to do with it.” 

It was a jibe, nothing too serious. But if you have been following Justin Thomas, you know the guy is pretty serious when it comes to his games. And that’s why his comment on the upcoming TGL final is just as challenging as Xander Schauffele’s earlier statements. “We all enjoy that kind of arena or atmosphere, and I’m sure tomorrow will be on another level on both sides. I know we’re going to bring it, and I’m sure they will, too.” Surely, the upcoming match will be just as dramatic–if not more. Who are you placing your bets on–Xander Schauffele or Justin Thomas?