Atlanta Drive set for TGL debut against New York in Matchday 3

Everything you need to know ahead of TGL Matchday 3 where New York GC returns for Atlanta Drive clash at the SoFi Center.

We’re two games deep into Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s virtual adventure which has yet to produce anything close to a competitive match-up. Week one saw the Xander Schauffele-fronted New York GC schooled 9-2 by The Bay GC, before Tiger Woods and his Jupiter Links franchise were crushed 12-1 by Los Angeles.

So, here’s hoping New York versus tech-rookies Atlanta Drive can at least resemble something close to excitement when TGL loads back up at Palm Beach’s SoFi Center. I’m not convinced the novelty of player walk-ins will last much longer than a week or two!

To its credit, viewing figures have been positive, with Tiger’s debut last week building to a peak of 1.13 million from 919,000 for TGL’s inaugural match. It’s holding its own, and out eye-balling concurrently running NBA games. This week’s numbers will be particularly telling as to how much traction TGL is building without the Tiger factor and with less curiosity from the wider sports audience.

The players seem to be having fun, mind, even if the golf prowess on show is a little dubious.

“We were entertaining. I think got to see how bad pros can be. It was just a boat race. Oh, my goodness. But we had a great time,” said Woods.

Which players have been selected for New York vs Atlanta Drive?

Xander Schauffele sits this one out for New York, with Cameron Young slotting in for his debut instead. Matt Fitzpatrick and Rickie Fowler complete the lineup. Atlanta Drive select Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay for their TGL bow.

The singles head-to-heads will be as follows:

What holes will be played?

Each TGL fixture features 15 virtual holes from a bank of 30 custom-designed holes specially created by Beau Welling Design, Nicklaus Design, and Pizá Golf, in collaboration with TGL and Full Swing. An exciting element of TGL is the removal of real-world barriers to golf course design, typically restricted by budgets, environmental issues, planning permissions, and availability of land.

This week’s virtual course has been shaken up for the first time and will feature five new holes for the players to plot their way around.

How are points awarded in TGL?

Similar to professional hockey, TGL will use a points-based system for regular-season matches. One point is awarded for winning a hole, but there are no carryovers, and a tie is worth zero points.

Each team also has the option of using ‘the hammer’, which increases the value of a hole by one point when active. Possession of ‘the hammer’ changes each time it’s used, so there’s strategy involved in pressing home an advantage or putting an opponent under pressure.

A team win is worth two points, while an overtime loss still receives one point – a similar system to the NHL. A ‘regulation’ defeat earns zero points.

In the event of a tie at the end of the 15-week season, the tiebreaker will be decided by total holes won. That’s why all 15 holes will be played in every match, even if the winner is decided earlier.

• Find out more about TGL’s unique rules and format here.

How to watch New York vs Atlanta Drive

US audiences can tune in to TGL on ESPN and ESPN+ from 19.00 EST on Tuesday, January 22.

UK viewers can watch the action unfold on Sky Sports from 00.00 on Wednesday, January 23.

TGL matches are scheduled to last two hours.

New York vs Atlanta Drive: Who will win?

Bookmakers are understandably cautious about how ‘real-world’ results may translate to performance in the ‘sim world’ before seeing which players seem to have the knack. New York were less than competitive against The Bay in Matchday 1, however, go off at even money for the win, with the untested Atlanta Drive marginal 4/5 favorites.

About the author

Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.