When I went through Jupiter Links Golf Club for their team preview, it seemed to me as if that could feasibly be the best ball-striking team in TGL presented by SoFi. And now, after a deep dive into Atlanta Drive GC, it seems as if that idea could be completely and totally wrong.

This Atlanta Drive team is what’s known in the golf world as flushers only. Up and down the roster, everyone on this team finds the center of the center, specifically when it comes to approach play.

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Three of the four – Justin Thomas, Lucas Glover and Patrick Cantlay – rank in the top 20 in the world in strokes gained on approach shots over the last two years (among those with enough qualified rounds, according to Data Golf). Three of the 20 best iron players on the planet, all on the same team.

And there are plenty of other things to like about this squad. Let’s take a look at the players one at a time and see how they all fit together to make up Atlanta Drive.

Justin Thomas

J.T. should thrive in this environment. He will almost certainly liberally use the Hammer as much as possible, and his short game magic – I’m not sure anyone has a wider variety of short game shots – should be on full display when his team gets to the GreenZone.

Role on the team: Thomas and Horschel could take on more of a vocal leadership role, while Glover and Cantlay have typically been more reserved. Thomas is always fun in these situations and seems to thrive in the big moments.

One thing that excites me: Thomas loves to show off his entire arsenal of shots vs. playing it safe. He has a deep bag and that will play well here given the unique hole setups and the GreenZone. J.T. will almost certainly take advantage of showing off for the fans in this capacity.

One stat to remember: 19.5 – Over the last two years worldwide, Thomas has hit fairway approaches from 100-150 yards to an average of 19.5 feet. Nobody in the league has been better than that.

Patrick Cantlay

He is among the best all-around players of the last decade so it’s difficult to see how he will be anything but excellent for Atlanta Drive.

Role on the team: Cantlay is quite an underrated driver, and I believe they will lean on him a bit in that area when it comes to the three-player alternate shot portion of the matches. He’s also a difficult match play player to play one-on-one and will be a matchup absolutely nobody in the league will be excited to face.

One thing that excites me: As we saw in the 2023 Ryder Cup, there is a fire in Cantlay that burns bright in competition. I’m hopeful that emerges at times, and I believe – given the structure of the league and the match play aspect to it – that we’ll see more of it here than we sometimes see from him in other formats.

One stat to remember: 4 – That’s how many players over the last two years have ranked in the top 25 worldwide in strokes gained off the tee, on approach and around the greens. Two of them are playing in this league. One of them is Xander Schauffele, and the other is Cantlay.

Lucas Glover

He may have won the Wyndham Championship and FedExCup St. Jude Championship in back-to-back weeks in 2023, but 2024 was actually the best Glover's been overall in five years on the PGA TOUR. That’s an encouraging sign for Atlanta Drive as they head into their first season.

Role on the team: On a team of flushers, Glover is arguably the flush-iest. Thomas, Cantlay and Horschel have great short games overall and probably will be relied upon more in those areas, but Glover can not only hang when it comes to ball-striking but should be among the best in the league.

One thing that excites me: I’m just not sure anyone knows how good Glover, even at age 45, hits the golf ball. When you talk to other players about whose shots sound different, Glove’s name is one that often gets brought up. Up close and personal in SoFi Center, that should be fun to watch.

One stat to remember: 3 – That’s how many players in TGL have gained more strokes on approach shots than Glover over the last two years. He's in elite company there.

Billy Horschel

Horschel’s career has been amazing. He has been astonishingly consistent for the last 12 years on the PGA TOUR and consistently puts up the same numbers year after year after year. Atlanta Drive will no doubt lean on him for consistency and experience.

Role on the team: I think Horschel will be really, really into this. He has not been a part of as many international team competitions as others, but he loves competing alongside teammates. He’ll get deep on strategizing and might end up talking throughout the entire competition every week (which will be great for those of us watching on TV!).

One thing that excites me: Horschel could end up being the soul of this team. The one who brings the most energy. I’m excited to see how he does that – how he pumps up Cantlay and calms down Thomas and how everyone reacts to it. Temperamentally, this team is one of the most fascinating because they have so many different personalities and makeups.

One stat to remember: 0 – That’s how many years Horschel has lost strokes putting in the last 12, according to Data Golf. In terms of consistently good putters, there’s not many that are better than Billy.

Why You Should Root for Them

This team will be incredibly competitive. You could throw a board game or a puzzle in front of these four and they would try and stomp all over whoever else was competing. Even more so in the sport they play professionally.