What you need to know about the Grant Thornton Invitational Golf Tournament in Naples

Posted by Admin December 9, 2024 Golf

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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)

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)

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)

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 13^th 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.

Format of play

Round/Day	Format
Round 1/Friday	Scramble
Round 2/Saturday	Alternate Shot
Round 3/Sunday	Modified Four-Ball

Men’s yardage: 7,382 yards

Women’s yardage: 6,595 yards

How much are tickets?

Tickets are $50 for daily grounds and $125 for weekly grounds. For more information on VIP and specialty tickets, including to the Michelob Ultra Brew House and the Garrison Brothers Distillery Bunker, visit grantthorntoninvitational.com.

The tournament in partnership with PXG will provide complimentary admission each tournament day to all veterans, active, reserve and retired military personnel and up to two dependents. To receive a complimentary ticket, a valid proof of service must be shown at the tournament’s main entrance. The offer is valid at the gate only.

For more information, visit grantthorntoninvitational.com.

Where do I park?

Tiburón is located on the same property as The Ritz-Carlton Naples. General parking is located in Lot B (Wednesday and Thursday only) and Lot C (Friday through Sunday) on Orange Blossom Drive between Airport Pulling Road and Livingston Road. The parking fee is $10 per vehicle. Shuttles will be provided to and from the golf course.

All tournament-provided parking lots are handicap accessible.

What can I do when I’m not watching golf?

The Grant Thornton Invitational Fan Zone will feature tournament merchandise, LPGA Lesson Zones with complimentary golf instruction, a 6-hole putting course, an autograph alley area and face painting and balloon art on Friday and Sunday.

Lee Health sponsors Health & Wellness Day on Saturday which features a pair of free events: Fairway Yoga starting at 8 a.m. on the 18th fairway and Burn Boot Camp, which takes place at 9 a.m. behind the 18^th green.

What is Live Fest?

The fifth annual concert has become a highlight of tournament weekend.

This year’s event features country stars Old Dominion, ’90s rockers Goo Goo Dolls and country singer Lauren Alaina. The outdoor concert is from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Tiburón Golf Club Driving Range. General admission tickets are $145 with other packages from $340 and up.

Visit livefest.com for more information.