Tag: Grant Thornton Invitational

Photos: Tony Finau, Nelly Korda wear matching chrome Air Jordan 1s at Grant Thornton Invitational

These are sweet.

Tony Finau and Nelly Korda played great together Friday during the opening round of the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, posting a 16-under 56 in the scramble format, good enough for the 18-hole outright lead.

On Saturday, Team FiNelly coordinated their outfit a bit for the foursomes (alternate shot) second round. Finau and Korda, both Nike athletes, wore matching chrome Nike Air Jordan 1 Low G NRGs.

Through seven holes of the second round, Finau and Korda were still in the lead at 17 under, one shot better than Sahith Theegala and Rose Zhang.

Check out some photos of the team’s awesome kicks.

Tony Finau calls partner Nelly Korda ‘clutch’ as they lead early at Grant Thornton Invitational

“When Nelly is following me around the course, it makes the game feel pretty simple.”

NAPLES, Fla. – Tony Finau and Nelly Korda parred only three holes in an opening 16-under 56 to lead the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. The 16-team field played a scramble format on opening day in front of crowds so generous that it caught a number of players off-guard.

It was a mutual-admiration fest at Tiburon, with players raving about what they saw up close from their partners for the first time.

“That squeezer 9 you hit on No. 17,” Korda said to Finau during their post-round press conference, “was absolutely incredible.”

Finau called his partner “clutch”, noting that Korda chose to play second all day to be the team’s closer. They came together as a team because both are Grant Thornton ambassadors.

Nelly Korda of the United States plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

“When Nelly is following me around the course, it makes the game feel pretty simple,” he said. “She was able to make the putts and clutch up when we really needed to make putts.”

The marquee pairing of Korda and Finau hold a one-shot lead over Leona Maguire/Lucas Glover and Megan Khang/Denny McCarthy, who shot 27 on the back nine. Maguire and Glover birdied the first 10 holes.

The format changes to alternate shot for Saturday’s second round.

This marks the first time the PGA Tour and LPGA have hosted a mixed event since the 1999 JCPenney Classic at Innisbrook and for many in the field, this was their first time competing alongside an LPGA professional.

Finau, however, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, partnered with Lexi Thompson at the QBE Shootout several years ago and told Korda about a time he was in between clubs on the ninth hole into the wind at Tiburon.

“Lexi pulls a 9-iron and gets it to the hole,” said Finau. “I was between 8 and 9. I was like, she hit a 9, I can’t hit an 8. So, they obviously hit the ball very solid, very flush. I would say they hit it a lot straighter than the men, than we do on our tour. They’re just so solid. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover Googled each other before meeting this week at Grant Thornton Invitational

“We probably weren’t the star-studded pairing,” said Maguire, who relishes an underdog role.

NAPLES, Fla. – Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover came into the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational somewhat under the radar, despite Glover winning twice this season and Maguire having another blockbuster Solheim Cup.

“We probably weren’t the star-studded pairing,” said Maguire, who relishes an underdog role.

And yet, here they are, one shot back of the lead in the highly-anticipated mixed team event, the first of its kind between the LPGA and PGA Tour since 1999, the last playing of the JCPenney Classic.

Maguire and Glover birdied the first 10 holes in the opening scramble format en route to a 15 under 57. They’re one back of Nelly Korda/Tony Finau and tied with Megan Khang/Denny McCarthy, who shot 27 on the back nine.

While some partnerships this week at Tiburon Golf Club have coaches in common, or in the case of Rose Zhang and Sahith Theegala, a trainer, Glover and Maguire met for the first time in person on the chipping green Tuesday at Tiburon.

“I think they just assigned us each other,” said Glover of how they connected, “and we met via text and went from there, played some Tuesday.”

And yes, Glover definitely Googled Maguire, learning that she has a twin sister in dental school. He was looking for any kind of nugget to break the ice. The 44-year-old Glover also asked some of the younger guys on the PGA Tour if they knew Maguire, including Justin Thomas last week at the Hero World Challenge.

Maguire also Googled, though she already knew that Glover had won a major (2009 U.S. Open) and probably should’ve been on this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.

“Maybe the Europeans were a little bit lucky Lucas wasn’t in Rome,” she said with a smile.

2023 Grant Thornton Invitational
Denny McCarthy of the United States and Megan Khang of the United States talk on the second green during the first round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas DeFelice/Getty Images)

Nelly Korda told her old QBE partner McCarthy that her good friend Khang is a pocket rocket. It was destined to be a fun week.

“We met each other Tuesday night and it was, you know, I feel like we’re already great friends,” said McCarthy.

Khang agreed, noting that she’d already told McCarthy’s mom that she’d raised a great son.

“I kind of forgot we were in a tournament,” said Khang of their level of fun.

The shot of the day, Khang noted, came on the par-4 13th when she drove it into a bunker about 35 yards short of the hole. McCarthy told her to it get up there close and he’d hole it.

And he did just that.

“Babe Ruth, I pointed and called my shot,” said McCarthy. “That was nice.”

The format changes to foursomes for Saturday’s round.

2023 Grant Thornton Invitational Saturday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s second round in Florida.

After Friday’s scramble at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, the team of Nelly Korda and Tony Finau hold a one-shot lead over Leona Maguire/Lucas Glover and Megan Khang/Denny McCarthy at 16 under.

Sahith Theegala and Rose Zhang, one of the fan-favorites pairings, are two back at 14 under.

Saturday’s round will be foursomes (alternate shot). A new format will enter the fray on Sunday, a “modified fourball” session that will see both players hit a tee shot, then switch balls for their second shots. The players will then play the second ball until they complete the hole, and the lowest of the two scores will count for the team.

Check out the tee times, as well as TV and streaming info, below for the second round of the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational. All times Eastern.

Grant Thornton: Meet all 16 teams

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Grant Thornton Invitational on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=Golfweek&subId2=2024%20-%20Generic”]

Saturday tee times

Tee time Teams
11:10 a.m. Lee/Horschel and Knight/Hoge
11:22 a.m. Boutier/English and Reid/Henley
11:34 a.m.
Thompson/Fowler and Vu/Dahmen
11:46 a.m.
Henderson/Conners and Sagstrom/Aberg
11:58 a.m. Hull/Rose and Corpuz/Champ
12:10 p.m. Yin/Taylor and Ko/Day
12:22 p.m.
Khang/McCarthy and Zhang/Theegala
12:34 p.m. Korda/Finau and Maguire/Glover

How to watch

Saturday, Dec. 9

Golf Channel: 2-3 p.m. (Watch FREE on Fubo)
NBC: 3-5 p.m. (Watch FREE on Fubo)
Peacock (streaming): 2-5 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 10

Golf Channel: 1-2 p.m. (Watch FREE on Fubo)
NBC: 2-4 p.m. (Watch FREE on Fubo)
Peacock (streaming): 1-4 p.m.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1375]

Photos: PGA Tour and LPGA stars at the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational

Here are some of the best pictures from the week in Florida.

The duo of Lydia Ko and Jason Day won the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, an event filled with PGA Tour and LPGA stars, and they split $1 million for their efforts.

There were two-person teams consisting of one PGA Tour member and one LPGA member  at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, the home of the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship and former home to the QBE Shootout.

Three formats were used over three days of competition: scramble (Friday, round one), alternate shot (Saturday, round two) and modified best ball (Sunday, round three). Modified best ball is a new format and will make for great entertainment. Each player tees off, then the team switches golf balls and finishes the hole. The lowest score between the two players will count for the team.

Some other notable teams included Tony Finau/Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang/Sahith Theegala, Rickie Fowler/Lexi Thompson and runners-up Brooke Henderon and Corey Conners.

Check out some of the best photos from the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational in Florida.

How Sahith Theegala and Rose Zhang’s trainer led to their Grant Thornton Invitational pairing

“I think this is what golf needs is more team events, especially mixed men and women’s, and I think fans will really love it.”

Sahith Theegala and Rose Zhang both grew up in Southern California and share a trainer, who it turns out deserves most of the credit for their teaming up at this week’s Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida.

Theegala, who played his college golf at Pepperdine, has been keeping track of Zhang’s exploits during her college career at Stanford, and when the Grant Thornton Invitational was announced as transforming into a mixed-team event this year, he remembers thinking, “I need to find a way to get her out to play with me this year.”

That’s when their mutual trainer started a text thread between the three of them early this year, where he declared they were going to team up in the event.

“Rose was like, ‘Well, I’ve got to turn pro first,’” Theegala recalled. “So yeah, I like casually brought it up. Kind of like not really jokingly but kind of jokingly. She just turned pro and killed it right away, and I was like, ‘Am I good enough to still be your partner?’”

Indeed, he is. The 26-year-old Theegala won this event at Tiburon Golf Club last year with Tom Hoge as his partner when there were just two mixed-team pairings. Zhang turned pro this summer and is proving to be a force to be reckoned with, and likely a hot commodity for this event. The inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational is the first mixed-team co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour since John Daly and Laura Davies won the final JCPenney Classic in 1999, and a revival of the concept has long been in the making.

“This week is really special for not only me but everyone in this event,” Zhang said. “I don’t get to play with PGA Tour players often, so being able to play with Sahith, and from afar you always watch these players on TV, and you always admire their games, how far they hit it, how precise they are, how creative they are with their shots. It’s just kind of cool to just be inside the ropes to see that, let alone teaming up. Yeah, it’s going to be a fun ride.”

Lexi Thompson, 28, who had played in the QBE Shootout previously and competed against the men in the PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas in October, echoed that sentiment.

“I think this is what golf needs is more team events, especially mixed men and women’s, and I think fans will really love it,” she said.

Women’s golf is on the rise, and Theegala said an event like the Grant Thornton Invitational will showcase just how talented they really are.

“I didn’t realize how far Lexi hits it or how good Nelly’s iron game is and stuff like that,” he said. “They’re the best players in the world. They stack up to the Tour guys, if not better than the Tour guys, in a lot of areas.”

Rickie Fowler, 34, is teaming with Thompson. Originally, he was supposed to play with Jessica Korda, but she had to back out for a very good reason – she’s expecting her first child.

“I tried to talk her into it like you can still do it, but yeah, she ultimately bailed,” Fowler said with a smile. “It was a pretty easy decision from there.”

Fowler and Thompson couldn’t pinpoint the first time they met but figured it was at a Cobra-Puma shoot, the equipment and apparel makers they both endorse, around 2010.

“Team events are always a good time just because you can kind of lean on each other, but it’s also some added pressure, as well, because you want to perform and execute when it comes down to alternate shot (the format used during Sunday’s final round),” Fowler said. “Yeah, we have a pretty strong field both on the men’s and the women’s side. No one has come in here just to enjoy December offseason. There’s a lot of pride at stake.”

The bond between these teams may have been forged over text strings and at photo shoots, but this week they are thicker than blood.

“If you hit it in the weeds, I won’t be mad,” Fowler said to Thompson. “It’s fine.”

Ready for the Vu-Tang Clan and Team FiNelly? The Grant Thornton Invitational finally brings some of the best of the PGA Tour and LPGA together

Lilia Vu said she’s so pumped to play in the co-ed event that she’s actually nervous.

Lilia Vu didn’t meet Joel Dahmen until Tuesday night, but they’ve been part of a text string with their caddies called the Vu-Tang Clang for about a month.

Vu, the No. 1-ranked female golfer in the world, knows the name is a play off the group the Wu-Tang Clan but when Dahmen declared they would listen to some of the musical group’s greatest hits on the way to the first tee, she wondered, “Is that hip hop?”

“Yeah, it’s the best era in history,” Dahmen said.

Vu and Dahmen, the No. 166-ranked male player in the world, may not have a lot of history playing golf together yet, but that is about to change this week at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

They are partners in the first mixed-team co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and LPGA since John Daly and Laura Davies won the final JC Penny Classic in 1999. There’s been talk about reviving a co-ed team event seemingly since the previous one went away and it has attracted some top talent in its debut at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

“It means a lot. We’ve been kind of wanting this type of tournament for a long time,” Vu said. “It’s a really big deal for us to actually be on a stage to showcase both women’s and men’s golf together at the highest level, so it’s an honor to be here and showcase that.”

As a matter of fact, Vu said she’s so pumped to play in the co-ed event that she’s actually nervous.

“What is there to be nervous about?” Dahmen said. “It’s the offseason, you’re the best player in the world, we’re just goofing off and we’re going to beat most players here.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to need that a lot,” Vu said.

But in the next breath, Dahmen got Vu’s nerves jangling when he reminded her, “my paycheck depends on you this week.”

No pressure, right?

“Oh, no,” Vu said. “I just started sweating.”

“Our team’s going to have more fun than everyone else, that’s the number one thing,” Dahmen said. “I mean, she’s won four times this year. I haven’t won four times since I was like 12. To watch her kind of handle everything that comes out of this week is going to be awesome.”

Dahmen noted that Vu’s putting prowess was going to be fun to watch.

“Yeah, I’ve got you,” Vu said.

“Love that,” Dahmen said.

Vu-Tang Clan isn’t the only team with a funky name. Nelly Korda and Tony Finau are Team FiNelly.

“And Certified Fresh, and that comes from Finau Fresh, and she’s Certified Finau Fresh,” Finau, a six-time Tour winner said.

“Yeah, I got certified yesterday,” said Korda, an eight-time LPGA winner. “I was pretty happy.”

Korda and Finau are both ambassadors for the tournament title sponsor and thus made a natural fit. But they had yet to play golf until pairing up for a nine-hole practice round Tuesday.

“Everything that I thought about her game, it was even better up close,” Finau said.

Korda’s response: “You’re already making me blush.”

The mutual admiration session continued.

“She’s good at everything. Sometimes my game can be a little rough around the edges, so she’ll clean up for that,” Finau said. “Nelly is not a hard partner to play with, and then she’s got an incredible attitude, and she’s obviously extremely competitive, as well.”

“I’m just getting compliments left and right,” Korda said. “I love this.”

And what part of Finau’s game is she most impressed with? “I can’t wait to see all the bombs out there,” she said. “Hit it close for me.”

Team FiNelly and the Vu-Tang Clan may just be getting to know each other before the 54-hole tournament begins in earnest on Friday, but they already sound as if they are BFF’s.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=451202656]

2023 Grant Thornton Invitational Friday tee times feature must-watch pairings

Everything you need to know for Friday’s first round in Florida.

Who’s ready for a little mixed-team golf?

Sixteen teams comprised of PGA Tour and LPGA players will tee it up at the inaugural 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational this week at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

Friday’s first round will be a scramble format, followed on Saturday by a round of foursomes (alternate shot). A new format will enter the fray on Sunday, a “modified fourball” session that will see both players hit a tee shot, then switch balls for their second shots. The players will then play the second ball until they complete the hole, and the lowest of the two scores will count for the team.

Check out the tee times, as well as TV and streaming info, below for the first round of the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational. All times Eastern.

Grant Thornton: Odds, picks to win | Meet all 16 teams

Friday tee times

Tee time Teams
9:10 a.m. Mel Reid and Russell Henley
Allisen Corpuz and Cameron Champ
9:25 a.m. Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover
Madelene Sagstrom
9:40 a.m. Rose Zhang and Sahith Theegala
Lilia Vu and Joel Dahmen
9:55 a.m. Megan Khang and Denny McCarthy
Cheyenne Knight and Tom Hoge
10:10 a.m. Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners
Ruoning Yin and Nick Taylor
10:25 a.m. Andrea Lee and Billy Horschel
Celine Boutier and Harris English
10:40 a.m. Lydia Ko and Jason Day
Charley Hull and Justin Rose
10:55 a.m. Nelly Korda and Tony Finau
Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler

How to watch

Friday, Dec. 8

Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.
Peacock (streaming): 1-4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 9

Golf Channel: 2-3 p.m.
NBC: 3-5 p.m.
Peacock (streaming): 2-5 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 10

Golf Channel: 1-2 p.m.
NBC: 2-4 p.m.
Peacock (streaming): 1-4 p.m.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1375]

Which Grant Thornton Invitational team has best combined ranking of PGA Tour and LPGA players?

The Nelly Korda-Tony Finau duo is the highest-ranked team based on the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

This is going to be fun.

The inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational is Friday through Sunday this week at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, with 32 golfers – 16 from the LPGA and 16 from the PGA Tour – playing in two-person teams and competing for a $4 million purse.

The field features nine PGA Tour players and 12 LPGA players ranked in the top 50 in the latest men’s and women’s Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.

The highest-ranked PGA Tour golfers are Ludvig Aberg at No. 7, Rickie Fowler at No. 8 and Tony Finau at No. 16.

Meanwhile, four of the top 10 LPGA players will be there: No. 3 Ruoning Yin, No. 8 Nelly Korda, No. 9 Megan Khang and No. 10 Celine Boutier.

Who has the best combined ranking?

Here’s a look at the highest-ranked combos for the mixed-team event:

Nelly Korda (8) and Tony Finau (16) = 24

Megan Khang (9) and Denny McCarthy (29) = 38

Brooke Henderson (22) and Corey Conners (22) = 44

Rose Zhang (19) and Sahith Theegala (39) = 58

Madelene Sagstrom (57) and Ludvig Aberg (7)  = 64

Charley Hull (23) and Justin Rose (42) = 65

Lydia Ko (45) and Jason Day (27) = 72

Lexi Thompson (67) and Rickie Fowler (8) = 75

Celine Boutier (10) and Harris English (75) = 85

Mel Reid (75) and Russell Henley (14) = 89

Ruoning Yin (3) and Nick Taylor (94) = 97

Leona Maguire (16) and Lucas Glover (119) = 135

Cheyenne Knight (33) and Tom Hoge (115) = 148

Andrea Lee (72) and Billy Horschel (139) = 211

Allisen Corpuz (30) and Cameron Champ (266) = 296

Lilia Vu (11) and Joel Dahmen (304) = 315

Stacked resumes

There will be a combined 141 career victories – with 25 of those wins occurring this year – converging at Tiburon. There are 11 major champions in the field, including all five major winners from the 2023 LPGA season.

There are three 2023 Ryder Cuppers (Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg from Europe; Rickie Fowler from the U.S.).

There are 12 members of the 2023 Solheim Cup teams (Madelene Sagstrom, Celine Boutier, Leona Maguire and Charley Hull from Team Europe; Lilia Vu, Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee, Cheyenne Knight and Rose Zhang from Team USA).

Format for the three days

Friday, Dec. 8: Scramble

In this round, each player hits a tee shot and then the team selects the ball to be used for the next stroke. From there, both players hit their next shots from that spot. This process continues until the ball is holed.

Saturday, Dec. 9: Foursomes

This is the most traditional of the three days, adhering to a format that is consistently featured in both the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. Each team’s players alternate hitting shots with the same ball until the ball is holed. One player will tee off on the odd-numbered holes, and the other tees off on the even-numbered holes.

Sunday, Dec. 10: Modified fourballs

This final round will feature a format new to team play and a twist on traditional fourball. In the modified format, both players tee off, and then they switch balls for their second shots and play that same ball until it is holed. The lower score of the partners is then counted as the team score for the hole.

How to watch

Friday, first round, 1-4 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock

Saturday, second round, 2-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock

Saturday, second round, 3-5 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock

Sunday, final round, 1-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock

Sunday, final round, 2-4 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock

Did you know?

The Grant Thornton replaces the QBE Shootout, which Greg Norman founded more than three decades ago and had been played in Naples since 2001.

2023 Grant Thornton Invitational format, odds and picks to win

Everything you need to know for the week in Naples.

The inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational is here and it’s sure to be a great week at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

PGA Tour and LPGA stars have teamed up and are ready to do battle over the course of three days. The first round will be a scramble, the second foursomes (alternate shot) and there will be a new format in play on Sunday. The “modified fourball” consists of both players hitting a tee shot, then switching balls for their second shots and playing that ball until they complete the hole. The lowest of the two scores will count for the team.

Here are some of the notable pairings: Tony Finau/Nelly Korda, Rickie Fowler/Lexi Thompson, Sahith Theegala/Rose Zhang and Lydia Ko/Jason Day. The No.1-ranked Lilia Vu will play alongside fan-favorite Joel Dahmen.

This will be the first co-sanctioned event between the Tour and LPGA since 1999.

Golf course

Tiburon Golf Club | Par 72 | Home to LPGA’s CME Group Tour Championship

2023 CME Group Tour Championship
The 18th hole at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Format, teams and betting preview