Patty Tawatanakit and Jake Knapp extended their lead heading into the final round of the Grant Thornton Invitational after a strong showing on day two.
Although the pair couldn’t match the heroics of the first day, when they birdied their first nine holes en route to a 14-under 58, Tawatanakit and Knapp actually extended their lead to two strokes over one as they moved to the top of the leaderboard with a 66. Under 20.
The mixed team event, featuring PGA and LPGA Tour stars at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., uses three different formats over three rounds and ends with a modified four-ball, where both players hole and change balls before playing the same the ball until it is punctured.
Tawatanakit and Knapp admitted they didn’t have an easy day two, with inclement weather making play difficult in the southernmost US state, but a positive mindset was vital for the pair.
“The first nine holes were just brutal because of the wind, the rain, everything,” Knapp said. “He did a great job of keeping me positive.
Live PGA Tour Golf
Sunday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m
“I think we just did a good job of kind of following up bad shots with good shots and we were able to just wipe it out.”
Gino Tithikul and Tom Kim moved into second place, shooting 8-under 64 to move into 18th place, ahead of Jennifer Kupcho and Akshay Bhatia, who are further back.
Three-time major winner Lydia Ko and former men’s No. 1 Jason Day, who won last year’s event, followed with 10-under 62 on Friday to finish 15-under 67, five shots off the lead.
“The chemistry that our whole team has, even with our cadets, has been great,” Ko said.
“I’m just excited for tomorrow and I feel like we have a really good game and we keep playing better. So hopefully today’s 9 will give us good momentum for tomorrow.”
Patty Tawatanakit and Jake Knapp continue to lead the way to Sunday’s finals
What is the Grant Thornton Invitational?
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 exposure.
It’s the second straight 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.
Watch the Grant Thornton Invitational all weekend live on Sky Sports Live coverage of the third round starts on Sunday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and more via NOW.
Get the best prices and book on one of 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland
