Some of the notable duos include Tony Finau and Nelly Korda, defending champions Jason Day and Lydia Ko, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson, and Sahith Theegala and Allisen Corpuz.
Tiburon Golf Club will play host, and if that name sounds familiar to you, this Greg Norman-designed track is the annual home of the LPGA’s CME Group Tour Championship. This year’s CME winner, Jeeno Thitikul, is in the Grant Thornton field and paired with fan-favorite Tom Kim.
Each round of the three-day tournament — action gets underway Friday — will feature a different format. Friday will be a scramble, Saturday will be foursomes and Sunday will be modified four-ball.
Golf course
Tiburon Golf Club | Par 72 | 7,382 yards
Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Jason Day of Australia walk from the third tee during the second round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 09, 2023, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Grant Thornton Invitational betting odds
Team
Odds
Team
Odds
Korda/Finau
(+450)
Thitikul/Kim
(+500)
Ko/Day
(+700)
Henderson/Conners
(+800)
Corpuz/Theegala
(+1100)
Kupcho/Bhatia
(+1200)
Coughlin/Young
(+1400)
Boutier/Pavon
(+1400)
Thompson/Fowler
(+1400)
Lee/Greyserman
(+1600)
Khang/Kuchar
(+1600)
Stark/Poston
(+1800)
Ruffels/Dunlap
(+1800)
Vu/List
(+2200)
Tavatanakit/Knapp
(+2500)
Reid/Champ
(+5500)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3413″ ]
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Grant Thornton Invitational picks to win
Jeeno Thitikul and Tom Kim
Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand poses with the trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship 2024 at Tiburon Golf Club on November 24, 2024, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Odds: 5/1
Analysis: This pick may seem obvious — and that’s because it is. Thitikul won on this very golf course just a few weeks ago, and Kim is fresh off a runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge. Tough not to pick the hot hands.
Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners
Corey Conners of Canada and Brooke M. Henderson of Canada walk from the second tee during the second round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 09, 2023, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Odds: 8/1
Analysis: The Canadian duo is a great team to add to your card. Conners was in South Africa last week for the Nedbank Golf Challenge and finished the event in a tie for sixth. Henderson made it to the LPGA finale and tied for eighth. This team finished second to Day/Ko last year.
Jennifer Kupcho and Akshay Bhatia
Akshay Bhatia of the United States follows a shot on the third hole during the final round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 08, 2024, in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Odds: 12/1
Analysis: Kupcho didn’t quite have the week Thitikul did at Tiburon in November, but she did finish in a tie for 12th. Her teammate Bhatia, like Kim, played in the Hero last week and grabbed solo fourth. Another partnership featuring two players in good form.
Tiburón Golf Club in Naples will host the mixed-team event that’s part of the Challenge Season.
Tiburón Golf Club in Naples will host the second annual Grant Thornton Invitational this week, a mixed-team event that’s part of the Challenge Season.
The 16 mixed teams, evenly comprised of PGA and LPGA players, will compete for an equal $4 million purse. The three-day tournament will consist of three distinct playing formats: scramble, foursome and modified four-ball. The 32-player field includes 24 of the world’s top 50 ranked PGA Tour and LPGA golfers including Nelly Korda (No. 1), Lydia Ko (No. 3), Lilia Vu (No. 4), Jeeno Thitikul (No. 5), Sahith Theegala (No. 12), Billy Horschel (No. 17) and Tony Finau (No. 26).
The three-day event starts Friday and runs through Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are reserved for practice days and the tournament’s Pro-Am is Wednesday and Thursday. The practice rounds and Pro-Am are closed to the public.
The tournament will be televised by the Golf Channel and NBC. If you plan to head out to Tiburón, here’s a guide to what you’ll need to know and what to expect once you arrive for the Grant Thornton Invitational.
Grant Thornton Invitational teams
Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR); Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR):
Lydia Ko (WWGR 3) and Jason Day (OWGR 32)
Lydia Ko plays her shot from the third tee during the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
These former World No. 1s and defending Grant Thornton champions have combined for the most individual titles in the field. The 27-year-old Ko, a New Zealand native, has 22 career victories, including her third major this year. She also won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and is an LPGA Hall of Famer. The 36-year-old Day, who is from Australia, has won 13 times, including the 2015 PGA Championship.
Nelly Korda (WWGR: 1) and Tony Finau (OWGR: 26)
Korda, 26, has 14 career victories and Finau, 35, has six. Korda has recorded seven wins this season, including five victories in consecutive starts and a major win at The Chevron Championship. Finau has five top-10 finishes this season. Korda and Finau also competed for Team USA this past fall at the Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup, respectively.
Lexi Thompson (WWGR: 50) and Rickie Fowler (OWGR: 70)
The returning team of Thompson, 29, and Fowler, 35, finished T6 last year. They have a combined 17 career titles as professionals. Thompson is an 11-time LPGA Tour winner, two-time Olympian and has played on seven U.S. Solheim Cup teams. She announced this would be her final season on the LPGA Tour. Fowler has three Presidents Cup and five Ryder Cup appearances and has played in one Olympics.
Brooke Henderson (WWGR: 24) and Corey Conners (OWGR: 42)
Brooke M. Henderson of Canada looks on during the first round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2024, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Last year’s runner-up by one stroke, this Canadian team has a combined 15 career victories and represented Team Canada at this year’s Olympics. The 27-year-old Henderson is a two-time major champion and Conners, 32, has won the Valero Texas Open for his two career titles. They also have a total of 12 top-10 finishes this year.
Lilia Vu (WWGR: 4) and Luke List (OWGR: 114)
Vu, 27, is a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, with four victories last season including two major championships. The 39-year-old List has two PGA wins, picking up his second toward the end of last season.
Rose Zhang (WWGR: 13) and Sahith Theegala (OWGR: 12)
Zhang, 21, and Theegala, 26, both earned their first career victories with Zhang picking up her second LPGA victory in 2024. They have combined for 13 top-10 finishes this year. Theegala participated in the most recent Presidents Cup for the first time and Zhang was a member of her second U.S. Solheim Cup team this year.
Jeeno Thitikul (WWGR: 5) and Tom Kim (OWGR: 27)
A native of Thailand, the 21-year-old Thitikul has four career wins on the LPGA Tour, two of those this year. The biggest came right here in Naples when she captured the CME Group Tour Championship in November and the historic $4 million winner’s check, the largest first-place prize in women’s golf. Kim, 22, has three career PGA wins since joining the tour in 2022. This year, they have a combined 13 top-10 finishes. This is the youngest team at the Grant Thornton.
Patty Tavatanakit (WWGR: 25) and Jake Knapp (OWGR: 83)
Tavatanakit, 25, is from Thailand and has earned two career LPGA wins, a major in 2021 and her second this year. Knapp, 30, earned his first PGA victory this year at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld. Both played their collegiate golf at the UCLA and have a combined eight top-10 finishes this year.
Megan Khang (WWGR: 21) and Matt Kuchar (OWGR: 113)
Khang, 26, earned her first career victory last year. She has four top-10 finishes this year and was on the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup team this fall. Kuchar, 46, has won nine times on the PGA, most recently in 2019. He has one top-10 finish this year. Kuchar is familiar with this golf course, having won three times with Harris English in previous team competitions at Tiburón Golf Club.
Céline Boutier (WWGR: 8) and Matthieu Pavon (OWGR: 29)
Boutier, 30, has won six times, including a major championship, and Pavon, 31, secured his first PGA title this year. This French team, who also qualified for this year’s Paris Olympics, will be competing together in Naples for the first time. Last year, Boutier, playing with Harris English, finished 12th.
Andrea Lee (WWGR: 52) and Billy Horschel (OWGR: 17)
Billy Horschel of the United States celebrates on the 18th green following victory after the second playoff hole during day four of the BMW PGA Championship 2024 at Wentworth Club on September 22, 2024, in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Lee, 26, and Horschel, 37, have a combined nine wins during their careers. Lee has five top-10 finishes this year, including a T3 at the Women’s U.S. Open. Horschel has enjoyed a resurgence this season, with his eighth PGA victory and seven top-10 finishes. He also earned a playoff win over Rory McIlroy on the DP World Tour. Last year, this team finished T14 at the Grant Thornton.
Jennifer Kupcho (WWGR: 51) and Akshay Bhatia (OWGR: 30)
Kupcho, 27, has three career LPGA wins, including one major, and has six top-10 finishes this year. She has competed in three Solheim Cup competitions, including this year. Bhatia, 22, has two career PGA victories, including this year’s Valero Texas Open.
Gabriela Ruffels (WWGR: 49) and Nick Dunlap (OWGR: 33)
Ruffels, 24, is competing as a rookie on the LPGA Tour this year, having earned her way by finishing atop the Epson Tour money list in 2023. The young Aussie player has recorded four top-10 finishes this season. Dunlap, 20, has won twice on the PGA TOUR this season: once as an amateur and once as a professional. He also won the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2023 U.S. Amateur.
Lauren Coughlin (WWGR: 15) and Cameron Young (OWGR: 37)
Coughlin, 32, picked up her first two career victories this year and also competed on the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup team in her home state of Virginia. Young, 27, has seven runner-up finishes in his PGA career. They have a combined 14 top-10 finishes this season.
Mel Reid (WWGR: 393) and Cameron Champ (OWGR: 389)
Reid, 37, and Champ, 29, have a combined four career victories on their respective tours. Reid has been a member of four European Solheim Cup teams in her career and served as assistant captain of Team Europe this year. At last year’s Grant Thornton, Reid teamed with Russell Henley and finished 13th while Champ competed with Allisen Corpuz and finished T14.
Maja Stark (WWGR: 26) and J.T. Poston (OWGR: 35)
Stark, 24, and Poston, 31, have a combined four career wins, including Poston’s recent victory at the Shriners Children’s Open. Stark, from Sweden, was a member of the European Solheim Cup Team at this year’s competition.
It’s time for the stars of the PGA Tour and LPGA to team up.
It’s time for the stars of the PGA Tour and LPGA to team up.
The 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational gets underway Friday in Naples, Florida, at Tiburon Golf Club. Sixteen teams comprised of the best players from the PGA Tour and LPGA will battle it out over 54 holes for the title. Jason Day and Lydia Ko are the defending champions of the mixed-team competition, which is in its second year.
The Grant Thornton Invitational will feature three different formats: scramble, foursomes and modified four-ball.
From TV coverage to field information and prize money, here’s what you need to know about the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational.
Grant Thornton Invitational course information
Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, is a par-72 layout measuring 7,382 yards for the men and 6,595 yards for the women. Greg Norman was the architect.
Grant Thornton Invitational purse, prize money
The purse at the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational is $4 million. The winning team will evenly split a $1 million prize.
Grant Thornton Invitational TV coverage
Friday, Dec. 13: 1-4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) Saturday, Dec. 14: 2-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-5 p.m. ET (NBC) Sunday, Dec. 15: 1-2 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 2-4 p.m. ET (NBC)
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Next month, 16 players from both the PGA Tour and LPGA will come together for the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. Two-person teams will compete over three days with each round consisting of a different format.
Friday will be a scramble, Saturday will be foursomes (alternate shot) and Sunday will be modified four-ball. Sunday’s session is unique as both players will tee off and then switch balls for their second shots. They’ll then finish out the hole and the lowest score between the two players will count for the team.
Some of the biggest names in the sport are in the field including Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Tom Kim.
Defending champions Lydia Ko and Jason Day are hoping to go back-to-back.
The tournament is slated for Dec. 13-15.
Here are the 16 teams for the Grant Thornton Invitational, including the world rank of each LPGA and PGA Tour player.
The 16 teams for the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational
Tony Finau of the United States and Nelly Korda of the United States fist bump on the first green during the second round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko (world No. 3) and Jason Day (world No. 33)
Nelly Korda (world No. 1) and Tony Finau (world No. 26)
All three teams were paired together in 2023, as well.
The first three teams have been announced for the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational, and there’s no shortage of star power heading to Naples in December.
Defending champions Jason Day and Lydia Ko are back to defend their title at the mixed-team event at Tiburon Golf Club. The two other teams announced Tuesday were world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Tony Finau along with Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler.
“We are thrilled to welcome back this elite group of players to Naples this December,” Rob Hartman, Grant Thornton Invitational Tournament Director, said in a release. “We couldn’t be happier with how the first few teams came together, and we look forward to creating 13 more compelling teams as the year unfolds.”
For Thompson, it will be the final competition for her in 2024 in what is set to be her final season playing full-time on the LPGA.
All three teams were paired together in 2023, as well.
The tournament’s 32-player field, which is evenly comprised of PGA Tour and LPGA professionals playing on 16 mixed teams, will compete for an equal purse of $4 million and experience equal visibility and a different format of play each day. The unique and exciting approach during the three-day professional golf competition will include scramble, foursomes and a modified four-ball format.
“The Grant Thornton Invitational is truly one of one, and getting to drive the game forward alongside such a great player and person in Tony Finau is something I’m really looking forward to doing again this year in Naples,” Korda said.
Last year, Finau and Korda finished T-4 while Thompson and Fowler were T-6.
