TGL Season 2 is about to start on December 28, 2025, at SoFi Center, with the Atlanta Drive GC going up against the New York GC. However, things are not going smoothly for the defending champions. Atlanta Drive GC has been forced into an early adjustment as Tiger Woods’ TGL encounters an unexpected hurdle ahead of Match 1. The defending SoFi Cup champions confirmed changes to their opening lineup.

They shared an X post revealing the new setup. The image in the post read, “Atlanta Drive GC and TGL today announced that Chris Gotterup and Corey Conners will join Atlanta Drive GC as alternates alongside Billy Horschel for Match 1 against New York Golf Club on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Both Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover are unable to participate in Atlanta Drive GC’s opening match due to injury, and teammate Justin Thomas is unavailable due to previously announced back surgery.”

Justin Thomas was already unavailable to tee up against the New York GC because of his back surgery. On November 14, 2025, he shared an Instagram post saying he underwent a successful microdiscectomy. Since then, he has missed the reinvented Skins Game, the Hero World Challenge, and will probably miss the start of the PGA Tour 2026 schedule. Amid all this, it was confirmed that he won’t play in the TGL Season 2 opener.

But while the 16x PGA Tour winner’s participation status was confirmed a month ago, two other members of the champion team have pulled out at the very last moment. The news of Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover not playing the first match came just days before the tee time.

Chris Gotterup and Corey Conners come as alternates for Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover, respectively. The team’s official statement reveals that both Cantlay and Conners are facing injuries. However, there are no specific details given. That makes a total of three players unfit for play.

Neither of the two had signed up for Tiger Woods’ TGL Season 2. However, desperate times have led to their participation, and they are here to complete the lineup of the defending champions.

Gotterup arrives after a standout PGA Tour season. Currently standing at 28 in the OWGR, he won the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. Although the season started with multiple missed cuts at the Sony Open, the American Express, the WM Phoenix Open, and others, he ended the season strongly. Besides the win at the Genesis Scottish Open, he finished a solo 3rd at The Open Championship and T10 at the 3M Open and the Tour Championship.

Corey Conners, on the other hand, adds consistency and elite ball-striking to the mix. Although he didn’t win any event on the PGA Tour this season, he made the cut in 20 of the 21 starts he had. Moreover, he finished in the top 10 in 7 of those events.

Despite the disruption, Atlanta Drive GC retains depth heading into its rematch with New York Golf Club. Billy Horschel, Chris Gotterup, and Corey Conners will tee up against New York GC’s Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Young in the season opener of Tiger Woods’ TGL.

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Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, and Lucas Glover’s roles in Atlanta Drive GC’s Season 1 win against New York GC

Atlanta Drive GC clinched the inaugural TGL SoFi Cup by defeating New York Golf Club in a best-of-three Finals Series. They won Match 1 (6-5) and Match 2 (4-3). All three golfers who won’t play the Season 2 opener played pivotal roles alongside Billy Horschel. With strong clutch play in the tech-infused format at SoFi Center, they became the first champions of Tiger Woods’ tech-golf league.

New York took an early lead in both matches. Match 1 featured a thriller ending, where Patrick Cantlay holed the final birdie putt to give Atlanta Drive GC a 1-0 lead. Then came Match 2, where the team was 3-0 down against the New York GC. But they rallied after the first 11 holes to secure the title.

In both matches, Patrick Cantlay’s impressive clutch game was on display. In Match 2, he sealed the championship with a precise pitch to a foot on the final hole. This earned him praises for his “Patty Ice” composure.

Justin Thomas’s Season 1 stats included 8 triples points and 4 singles points. His contributions were key to Atlanta Drive GC’s heading to the finale. Lucas Glover also supported the core trio with 6 triples points and 3 singles points in the regular season.

Billy Horschel was impressive, too, with a total of 16 points throughout the season. This included 8 singles points, the most by anyone in the league. He also tied for the most singles holes won, with 5. The team worked together to make their way to the finale and then win against the New York GC.

Now, only Billy Horschel remains from the core team. Whether Chris Gotterup and Corey Conners can support him like his former teammates remains to be seen. Fans will also hope to see Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover back in the team. Justin Thomas’ arrival may take time, while Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover could be available for their next match on January 6, 2026, against The Bay Golf Club.