The Grant Thornton Invitational returns this week. Live on Sky SportsPGA Tour and LPGA Tour stars join forces for a unique mixed team event. Here’s the format, the field, the schedule and everything you need to know…
What is that?
The 54-hole competition is a mixed team event in which 16 LPGA Tour and 16 PGA Tour professionals compete together in a unique co-sanctioned tournament.
The three-day tournament offers three different team play formats and allows a field of 32 players to compete for equal prize money and visibility.
Nellie Korda competes for the second consecutive year, partnering Tony Finau in the three-day tournament
It’s the second consecutive year the tournament has been on the schedule, which began in 2023 as the first co-sanctioned event between the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour since the 1999 JCPenney Classic.
What formats are used?
Friday’s action is played as a to fightwhere each player hits the tee shot and then the team chooses which ball to use for the next shot.
Tom Kim stars alongside Gino Titikul
The second stage uses quartetswith players from each team taking turns to hit the same ball until the ball is released. One player will tee off on odd-numbered holes and the other on even-numbered holes.
Sunday’s final will then be held in a modified phorbolwhere both players remove and change balls for their second shots.They then play the same ball until it is played, the lowest score between the pair then counts as the team’s score for that hole.
Where does it play?
The tournament takes place at Tiburón Golf Club, which hosts the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship and the QBE Shootout, a team event that operated on the PGA Tour until its cancellation in late 2022.
Who plays in it?
Five of the world’s top 10 in the women’s game, with world No. 1 Nellie Korda the LPGA Tour Player of the Year in 2024 after seven world wins, Tony Finau and two-time major champion Lilia Wu along with Luke List.
AIG Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko is back to defend the title with former men’s world No.1 Jason Day, while Solheim Cup star Celine Boutier is also in action and fellow countryman Mathieu Pavon.
Lexi Thompson is paired with Rickie Fowler and Lauren Coughlin plays alongside Cameron Young, while Sahit Theegala is the highest-rated player in the men’s game and partners Alisen Corpuzi.
Lexi Thompson has announced that she will stop playing on the LPGA Tour at the end of this year.
What’s to come?
Although the event is co-sponsored by the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, it is not considered an official tournament and the prize money is unofficial on the season standings.
Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points are not awarded, although there is a $4m (£3.1m) prize and the winners will split $1m (£784,000) equally.
Live PGA Tour Golf
Friday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m
Who has won before?
Day and Ko are the defending champions after a one-shot win over Conners and Henderson last year, with Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg and Madeleine Sagstrom two shots back in third place.
Theegala and Tom Hoge won the last edition of the QBE Shootout before it was cancelled, making Kuchar and Harris three-time English champions in its old format.
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Highlights from the final round of the 2022 QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
How can I watch Sky Sports live?
Each of the three rounds will be three hours of live coverage, with coverage starting at 6pm on Friday and 7pm on Saturday, before returning for the final day at 6pm.
The tournament is one of two live on Sky Sports Golf this week, with the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship live from 10am on Thursday and Friday until the 9.30am weekend kick-off.
Who will win the Grant Thornton Invitational?Watch live on Sky Sports throughout the week.The opening round starts at 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and more via NOW.
