With only hours to go before the second season’s start, Atlanta Drive GC made a major announcement. They revealed the team for their first match against New York GC. And Justin Thomas was not a part of the team. While it didn’t come as a surprise, considering his recent surgery, Thomas was still disappointed with the situation.

Sharing the story of the team update from Atlanta Drive GC on his Instagram, Thomas wrote, “Bummed I won’t be able to play today, but it will be great to be back in SoFi Center as @AtlantaDriveGC celebrates last year’s championship. Looking forward to rooting on the boys!”

Atlanta Drive GC is coming back for the second season as the defending champions. They beat New York GC in the finals to claim the title back on March 26, 2025. However, they will not be going in with the same team that won against NYGC in the first season. Apart from Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover will also be missing from the opening match of the season.

As revealed in the story of Atlanta Drive GC, Cantlay and Glover have also sustained injuries. Hence, they have been left out of the squad for the match on Sunday.

Instead, Billy Horschel will be accompanied by alternates in the form of Chris Gotterup and Corey Conners. They will face a full-strength New York GC team featuring Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Xander Schauffele.

What does that mean for the matchup? Will that affect the result of the contest between Atlanta Drive GC and New York GC? Let’s understand the dynamics between both teams.

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Does losing Justin Thomas & Co. weaken Atlanta Drive GC?

Last season, Justin Thomas & the Atlanta Drive GC had a huge advantage against the New York GC. They played three matches against each other, all three of which were won by Thomas & Co.

ADGC would have preferred to continue its domination over its West Coast rivals. However, with Thomas, Cantlay, and Glover missing, Horschel might find it difficult to carry the squad to victory. Especially considering that Gotterup and Conners are relatively new to the format.

It will be interesting to see how Atlanta Drive performs. But even if they manage to win, the story won’t end there. This isn’t just a concern for the first match of the season.

Justin Thomas admitted that he might miss some tournaments at the beginning of 2026 as he is still recovering from his hip surgery. That will include a few of the TGL matches as well. It might be a cause of concern for Atlanta Drive GC. Especially if another one of their players also gets injured in the meantime.