Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay at the 2021 Ryder Cup. | Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Atlanta Drive GC becomes the second TGL team to unveil its inaugural roster following Boston Common Golf.
Atlanta Drive GC, one of the teams that will compete in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL league, unveiled its full roster on Monday.
Eight-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay, 2014 FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover join two-time major winner Justin Thomas on the team.
“I could not be more excited to join Atlanta Drive GC and represent Atlanta in TGL,” Cantlay said in a statement.
“The city of Atlanta has a rich golf history, and being able to bring a new and innovative golf product to its incredible fans is an honor. I know having the support of [Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur] Blank and his world-class team will be an advantage for us as we compete to win championships for the city of Atlanta and the awesome golf fans across the southeast.”
Cantlay has had plenty of success in Atlanta, winning the 2021 Tour Championship at the historic East Lake Golf Club. His victory there awarded him with the FedEx Cup. He won Player of the Year honors that year, too.
Horschel has also won at East Lake, while Glover made it to the Tour Championship this year for the first time since 2019.
Moreover, Horschel played collegiately at the University of Florida, and Glover went to Clemson—two hours east of Atlanta.
Atlanta hosts the SEC Championship every year, often considered the heart of SEC country in the south. But even though Clemson competes in the ACC, the Tigers have had their fair share of games in Georgia’s capital city, too.
Nevertheless, between Horschel, Glover, and Thomas—who played at Alabama—Atlanta Drive GC has three players with plenty of ties to the region.
As for Cantlay, who played at UCLA and hails from California, the former Bruin also has connections to the area, thanks to his sustained success at East Lake.
Each player will compete in the inaugural TGL season, which kicks off on Tuesday, Jan. 9, on ESPN.
TGL management worked closely with each player so that this start-up league would be complementary to his PGA Tour schedule.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.