Atlanta Drive GC 9, Jupiter Links GC 1
THE MODERATOR: We have Atlanta Drive. We're joined by Nick Dunlap, Lucas Glover and Billy Horschel. Billy, what was it like to get the win tonight heading into the Playoffs?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it's nice. Listen, we want to make sure we -- I'm not going to say that.
We get Nick the win tonight on his first go-around, and Lucas hasn't got one either, so we wanted to pop their cherries a little bit.
LUCAS GLOVER: You said it anyway, didn't you.
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I did say it anyways. It was coming out.
Whatever you do against Tiger, you want to beat him. He's the best in the world, best ever, and he's competitive as hell. Whenever we get a chance to sort of get one on him, you've got to take it because he's got so much on us that we can't even compete with.
Yeah, it was nice to get a win and go into a playoff with some momentum.
Q. Nick, your TGL debut. What has the experience been like with the team beside you?
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I had a lot of fun. Very grateful today they brought me along. They had already locked up the playoffs, so it was pretty easy. I could just go have some fun and throw some jabs and enjoy some really good company.
Q. Lucas, any comments heading into post season playoffs?
LUCAS GLOVER: Excited. If I get to play, I'll be excited. If I don't, I'll be excited and probably be here to support. Just want to do well and want the team to do well, first of all. Yeah, it was a great experience. I had a ball. We all did, I think. I can't speak for these guys, but I thought we had fun.
Q. Nick, of course none of us know what's going to happen next season and what's coming up, but if there were to be an expansion, more teams, is this something you'd want to throw your hat in the ring and be a part of or was this a one and done for you?
BILLY HORSCHEL: We've got first rights to Nick Dunlap if any other team comes along.
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, absolutely. I think this was a little bit of a trial run and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it's different. It's new. It's extremely exciting. I love the energy in there. It's nothing like I thought it was going to be.
I really liked the way that this is trending.
Q. Building off of that, Nick, a few weeks ago you played in the Pop Stroke Invitational, and now you're here at TGL. What makes you love these kind of more arcade-like golf games more and more?
NICK DUNLAP: I just kind of like to be a kid.
BILLY HORSCHEL: He still is a kid compared to us.
NICK DUNLAP: I got thrown into a world that can change you pretty quick, and I still like to do things like that, that I can go and enjoy. Like you said, I went to Pop Stroke for a few hours with a good buddy of mine and we whacked around and got beat by people that actually know how to do putt-putt. It was very humbling to say the least.
Q. Billy, we saw you in the postgame interview with Marty that you had the Dirty Birds chain on. Did he try to rope you into some kind of Morgan Wallen duet there?
BILLY HORSCHEL: No. There's things I know I do well, and there's I know I don't do well. I don't even try. And I cannot sing worth a lick. It was sad. My ears hurt pretty bad to hear Matthew Berry sing. It was sad to hear Marty sing. My ears still are trying to recover from that. Yeah, I do not sing. I do not try to sing. I will never sing in public.
LUCAS GLOVER: Ditto.
Q. For the two of you guys, hearing what Nick was saying, not to say that you guys aren't kids, but if there's something about TGL that's helped you tap into a fun different side of golf?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Listen, Nick is 21 years old. You look in the last 13 months, he was in college, then he wins on the PGA TOUR and he wins again, and now he's here in TGL. His last 12, 13 months has been a whirlwind. It's similar to what Luke Clanton is going to be experiencing over the next 12, 13 months.
But this is fun and exciting. Listen, as I've said before, competing on the PGA TOUR is what I've always dreamed of, and I love it. But it is stressful. It is cutthroat. There's times that the enjoyment factor, you don't get the enjoyment factor out of the game of golf the way you always want. A lot of it has to do with the pressure we put on ourselves and it's sort of our own faults for it.
When you get to come in here, you get to understand that this is an entertainment value but there's also a competitive aspect behind it but you can enjoy it. Where I am financially, this doesn't matter my financial situation. This is me coming in to enjoy something that's new and exciting to try and show the world golf in a different way, in a different light. As I've said for many years now, I think golf can open up so many doors, can help so many people, and I want everyone to experience why I think it's the greatest sport in the world.
Anything that I can be a part of that can hopefully lend that opportunity, I'm willing to be first in line to give it a shot.
Q. Lucas, if you're explaining to yourself three or four years ago what you had done tonight and where you were right now, what do you think you would make of it?
LUCAS GLOVER: It's a good question. I'd have said to myself, Self, you're crazy, because I didn't think this was even in the cards, honestly.
But the demographic we're after that we've obviously captured, that young gamer, virtual golfer, TopGolf golfer, and with the time it takes to play a full round of golf now, we're losing people. This is capturing people. That's who we're after, and it sounds like we're getting it done.
But honestly, three, four years ago if you'd have told me this was a reality, I'd have said you were crazy. Even 16, 18 months ago probably.
Then started seeing the pictures and came in here the first time 1st of December, and my chin was on the ground. It's very impressive. It's doing what it set out to do.
Q. You talk about how much you've enjoyed it. I think all four, all five of you guys have had so much fun and seemed to relish this. How are you going to decide who gets the nod in the starting lineup in the playoffs and who has to sit the bench? What goes into that?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It's above all our pay grade. We don't -- it's down to the governess, Jill Thomas, and the Atlanta Drive team, and they figure it out. They make the decision who gets the call, and that's how it's going to go. That's the way it's gone all year, and I think we're all fine with it. We're a part of a team, and it's just like any other sport; sometimes you get chosen, sometimes you don't. But we're here to support the entire team and do whatever we can to help the team win. That's what's great about our team. Our mentality is nobody's ego -- we can all put our egos to the side for the betterment of the team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports