Justin Thomas brought the noise all night, and if you’ve ever watched him compete, you know that’s not an accident. He’s the guy who keeps the energy up, keeps the pace sharp, and makes sure nobody gets comfortable. In this one, the banter was flying, the crowd was into it, and the SoFi Center felt loud from the first hole.
But golf has a simple way of settling arguments. You can talk, you can chirp, you can sell confidence, and you can even start fast. Eventually it comes down to one thing, can you execute the shot that matters when it matters. On this night, Kevin Kisner did that, and he did it in the exact spot where the match could have tilted back the other way.
Jupiter Links walked in still searching for their first win of the season, and early it looked like the same movie. After two holes they were down 2-0, and you could almost feel the collective, here we go again, hanging in the air. Atlanta Drive was riding a seven match win streak, and they had every reason to believe they could keep leaning on the format and their confidence.
Then Jupiter flipped the whole night on its head. Akshay Bhatia, Max Homa, and Kisner turned on the jets in triples, stacked points in a hurry, and suddenly Atlanta was the team reacting instead of dictating. The final score was 8-6, but the story is the run, the hammer swings, and the way Jupiter refused to let the moment get too big.
The five point burst that changed the match
This is the part casual fans miss when they only see the score later. Early momentum matters in TGL because the format rewards confidence. When you’re playing fast, in a stadium setting, with teammates right beside you, you either ride the wave or you get swallowed by it.
Jupiter ripped off five straight points, and that’s skill. That’s lights out putting paired with tee shots that put pressure on the other side. In triples, you’re basically playing a team version of match play where every solid strike gives your partner freedom, and every mistake multiplies.
If you’re newer to match play style swings in momentum, it’s worth understanding how it differs from traditional scoring, especially in pressure moments. Start with match play vs stroke play, then come back and rewatch the run with that lens.
As a coach, I always watch the transitions. What changed from the first two holes to the next stretch? You could see Jupiter settle into cleaner decisions off the tee. The shots started coming out with conviction. And once the putts started dropping, the body language changed. Shoulders came up, pace improved, and the conversations between shots got sharper.
If you want a simple takeaway, it’s this. When you’re down early, you don’t need hero golf. You need one clean sequence. One fairway, one smart approach, one confident putt. That’s how you start a run.
Atlanta is dangerous with the hammer, Jupiter took that away
The hammer format is where teams can take control, but it can also punish you if you get greedy. Atlanta is known for dominating hammer situations, and that’s why this match was such a big deal. Jupiter didn’t just survive the hammer, they used it to create separation.
They clinched three pivotal hammer points, and the biggest was Kisner’s par against Billy Horschel that created a two point swing. That’s a moment. It’s also a message. It says, we’re not blinking tonight.
Here’s what hammer golf teaches that most weekend golfers ignore. Pressure doesn’t just come from the shot, it comes from the consequences. When the stakes double, your pre shot routine either holds up or it collapses. The players who thrive are the ones who don’t speed up, don’t change their rhythm, and don’t chase a perfect swing.
If you want to tighten up your own putting when the nerves show up, spend ten minutes with these putting tips and the fundamentals in how to putt. The point isn’t a magic move. It’s having something simple you trust when the moment gets loud.
Justin Thomas brought the noise, and Kisner kept answering
Thomas was the vocal spark, even off the course. He kept it lively with Kisner all night, and that energy is real. Some players get quieter under pressure, Thomas tends to get sharper and louder. That can lift a team, and it can also try to rattle the other side.
The thing about Kisner is he’s been living in match play environments for a long time. He understands the emotional game. He knows when to laugh, when to slow things down, and when to take the oxygen out of the room by making a boring par.
There’s nothing flashy about a clutch par, but it’s the most demoralizing result in golf when the other guy needs you to make a mistake. If you’re trying to get better at handling that feeling, this is the exact lane to train, staying steady when you want to speed up. These stress-free golf habits help, because they’re built around routines you can actually repeat.
After all, the last laugh matters most. Banter is fun, the fans love it, and it makes the product better. But the guy who hits the shot gets the closing line. Kisner earned it the old fashioned way, by not cracking when the points got heavy.
Atlanta’s late push was real, it just came too late
Give Atlanta credit, they didn’t fold. They grabbed three points on the very last hole, and that kind of rally can carry over into the next week if you handle it right. The problem is, you can’t spot a good team a massive run and expect to win on vibes alone.
This is where team golf gets interesting. A late rally can either feel like momentum, or it can feel like damage control. The difference is what happens between the big moments. Did you tighten up the mistakes that started the slide, or did you simply catch a break at the end?
What golfers at home should steal from this match
You don’t have to play in a stadium to use these lessons. This match was a clean demonstration of fundamentals under pressure, and you can apply the same ideas the next time you’re playing for a skin, a bet, or even just pride with your friends.
- When you fall behind early, stop trying to win it back in one swing. Win one shot at a time, and let the run build naturally.
- In high pressure moments, commit to a conservative target and a confident swing. Most disasters start with indecision.
- Make your routine your anchor. If your tempo changes, your strike usually changes with it.
- If you want to rattle someone, do it with execution. A boring par at the right time hits harder than any trash talk.
One small detail that matters more than people admit is pace. When the moment gets tight, a lot of golfers either rush or freeze. If you want a practical framework for staying steady without getting slow, these pace of play tips translate surprisingly well to pressure shots.
That is what made Jupiter’s first win feel different. It was teamwork, resilience, and timely execution. They didn’t wait for Atlanta to hand it to them. They took the momentum, they played the hammer moments like veterans, and they closed the door even when the late rally made it interesting.
So yes, Justin Thomas brought the noise. But in the end, Kevin Kisner got the last laugh, and Jupiter Links walked out with history, an 8-6 upset, and a streak snapped in the loudest way possible.
Clint is PGA-certified and was a Head Teaching Professional at one of Toronto's busiest golf academies. He was also featured on Canada's National Golf TV program, "Score Golf Canada," twice. He graduated with a degree in Golf Management from the College of the Desert in California and studied under Callaway's co-founder, Tony Manzoni. He has a handicap index of 6.2 and spends the winters near Oaxaca, Mexico, where he plays twice a month at the Club de Golf Vista Hermosa. He's written over 100 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. You can connect with Clint at LinkedIn, FB, his website, or Clintcpga@gmail.com.
