Atlanta’s Monday Slog Shows TGL’s Real Test: Depth Over Depth

I’ve been covering professional golf long enough to know that doubleheaders in any format—whether it’s the old Shell’s Wonderful World or these new TGL matches—reveal something the single-event schedule never does: which teams have real roster management and which ones are just hoping their stars carry them.

Monday night at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens told me Atlanta Drive Golf Club has some serious thinking to do about both.

The Tale of One Team, Two Vastly Different Nights

Here’s what jumped out at me: Atlanta beat Boston Common 5-2 in the first match, then turned around and lost to Los Angeles 7-3 in the nightcap. That’s a 12-point swing in performance across roughly four hours of golf. In my 35 years around this game, I’ve learned that kind of volatility usually points to one thing—fatigue, in either the physical or mental sense.

What strikes me most is how the roster rotations played out. Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover sat the Boston match, then got plugged back in against LA. Justin Thomas carried the first match but disappeared entirely in the second. Patrick Cantlay was the only Atlanta player who suited up for both matches, and while he logged the most playing time, even he couldn’t stabilize a sinking ship in that second outing.

“Atlanta Drive was the first team on the board. But the score came in anticlimactic fashion, as Boston declined a hammer throw by Atlanta, giving the team a point.”

That’s not the most glorious way to start a match, frankly. Getting a point because your opponent declined to throw is like winning a hand of poker because someone folded without showing. It happens, sure, but it doesn’t build momentum.

Keegan Bradley’s Moment—and What It Actually Tells Us

Now, let’s talk about the one moment that’s genuinely worth celebrating from the night. Keegan Bradley stepped up on Hole 11 in the first match and absolutely smoked a drive—384 yards. A new TGL record. I’ve caddied in tournaments where players were obsessed with drive distance, and I can tell you that kind of power, on command, in a structured format, is genuinely impressive.

“Bradley got every bit of the ball in his first shot on Hole 11. He hit a 384-yard drive, setting a new record for the longest drive in TGL history.”

Here’s the thing though: despite that monster drive, the hole ended in a tie. In my experience, that’s actually a metaphor for what I’m seeing in TGL generally—individual moments of brilliance that don’t always translate to match momentum. Bradley’s drive was spectacular. His hole was unremarkable. That’s the format’s reality right now.

The LA Demolition and What It Means

The second match wasn’t even competitive. Los Angeles came out and scored on Hole 1, then won the next two holes to jump to 3-0 before Atlanta even blinked. That’s execution. That’s what happens when a team shows up fresh, with their A-lineup—Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, and Collin Morikawa are as good as it gets—and they’re playing against a squad that’s already played one match.

Fleetwood’s chip shot on Hole 11 was beautiful, absolutely. The man still has that British Tour craftiness that made him a world-class player.

“Tommy Fleetwood chips in a beautiful shot on Hole 11 vs. Atlanta Drive GC.”

But here’s what I noticed: Atlanta had opportunities to make this interesting. Patrick Cantlay nearly sank a shot from 43 yards out on that same hole, which would’ve cut LA’s lead significantly. Instead, Fleetwood’s response was immediate and authoritative. When you’re playing from behind after already playing one match, those momentum moments matter more than ever.

The Real Issue: Doubleheaders Expose Thin Rosters

Having covered 15 Masters and spent my fair share of time in locker rooms, I can tell you that golf is as much about managing energy as it is about making putts. Playing two matches in one night on a Monday—even in a simulator format—requires depth. It requires having four or five quality players who can all contribute meaningfully.

Atlanta has Thomas, Cantlay, Horschel, and Glover. That’s a solid group. Chris Gotterup showed he belongs on that level too—his putt on Hole 8 in the first match gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead and showed he can deliver under pressure. But when you’re asking Thomas to play one match and sit another, then asking Horschel and Glover to jump in fresh for the second outing, you’re essentially playing a game of lineup roulette.

The question TGL needs to answer is whether Monday’s doubleheader format is sustainable or if it’s simply too punishing on player availability and team chemistry. I’m not saying the format doesn’t work—it clearly generates compelling television and interesting competitive angles. But it demands more roster depth than most teams actually possess.

Looking Ahead

Atlanta will bounce back. They have the talent to do it. But this Monday night should serve as a wake-up call that in TGL, you can’t just roll out your best players and expect them to be equally sharp in back-to-back matches. The mental and physical demands are real, and the teams that figure out how to manage those demands while maintaining consistency will be the ones competing for championships come season’s end.