NAPLES – Lydia Ko of New Zealand birdied the 17th hole and had a tap-in par at No. 18 as she and partner Australia’s Jason Day won the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational on Dec 10 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
They posted their second-straight round of six-under 66 to finish at 26-under 190, beating Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners by one shot.
The three-day tournament featured 16 mixed teams with one male and one female player, playing a scramble format on Dec 8 and foursomes (alternate shot) on Dec 9. The final round on Dec 10 was a modified four-ball, in which both teammates teed off, then switched balls for their second shots and played that ball the rest of the hole.
Ko and Day had a two-stroke lead entering the last day and combined to card six birdies without a bogey.
“It felt like the most stress-free win because I just knew (Ko) was going to step up in the end, which was fantastic,” Day said. “It was a fun week. I think having the two tours join this week was a fun way to finish the year out.”
“I learnt a lot, whether it was short-sided chips or just how to commit and hit bombs down there,” Ko said of playing with the men.
“This has just been a great start for the two tours coming together and having a mixed event, and I really hope this is something that continues for a long time.”
Conners and Henderson had a wild start. They were able to card an eagle on the par-five first hole and birdied the par-four second before having to settle for a double bogey at the par-four third.
They added a second eagle when Conners holed out at the par-four ninth, and they birdied five of the next six holes for a final-round 63 to get to 25 under overall.
Swedes Madelene Sagstrom and Ludvig Aberg were third at 24 under after firing a final-round 60, with 10 birdies and a late eagle.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour said on Dec 10 that it has unanimously decided to advance discussions with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a consortium of United States-based sports team investors that includes Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
The PGA Tour policy board selected SSG to further negotiate with, even as talks with the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) continue to progress, according to a statement posted to the PGA’s website.
“Further, the DP World Tour will continue to be an important part of the process as we build towards PGA Tour Enterprises,” the PGA statement said.
FSG is the owner of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, as well as English Premier League club Liverpool. The consortium also includes investment firm Cohen Private Ventures, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s family office and private equity firm HighPost Capital.
Reuters reported in September that FSG and entertainment giant Endeavor Group were interested in investing in the PGA Tour and any potential transaction would rival the PGA’s deal with the PIF.
REUTERS
