It’s been almost 25 years since the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour last had a co-sanctioned tournament together. That’s changing this December, with a new mixed-team Challenge Season event in Naples, Florida, called the Grant Thornton Invitational.
The format is unique in the current professional golf landscape, with men and women competing for equal prize money: a $4 million total purse. The 16-team, 32-player event will be played over three rounds at Tiburon Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, with televised coverage on NBC and Golf Channel.
“As we look to capitalize on the growing interest in the game of golf, the addition of a mixed event to the calendar has been a priority,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, who credited the title sponsor for helping make the event a reality. Grant Thornton is an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA Tour and counts a number of pro golfers as ambassadors, among them Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Champ, Mel Reid and sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda.
Finau will team with Nelly Korda and said he’s excited to be among those who will be participating in the inclusive new mixed event, which replaces the QBE Shootout. Women and girls now account for one quarter of the 25.6 million recreational golfers in the U.S., according to the National Golf Foundation, matching the highest representation on record.
“PGA TOUR athletes playing alongside the best athletes from the LPGA Tour is going to be incredible for our fans,” said Finau. “They’ve been wanting something like this for a long time.”
The last time it happened was back in 1999, when the tandem of Laura Davies and John Daly completed an improbable final-round comeback at the final edition of the JCPenney Classic — also in December and also in Florida. Davies and Daly overcame a five-stroke Sunday deficit by shooting a 7-under-par 64 in the alternate shot format and then took down Paul Azinger and Se Ri Pak in a playoff as Davies dropped a 30-foot playoff putt on the third extra hole.
Format details for the Grant Thornton Invitational are still in development.
