Golf tours team up for first mixed tournament in decades

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The PGA and LPGA Tours have formed a new 32-player mixed-team event bringing together the two tours for an annual tournament for the first time in 24 years.

The inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational will include 16 players from each tour and take place from 8-10 December in Florida.

A prize purse of more than $6 million will be on offer.

The last time the two tours held an annual mixed-team competition was in 1999, when John Daly and Laura Davies won the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the new tournament was an “important step forward” for golf.

“By joining forces with the PGA Tour to host a mixed event where the top male and female golfers in the world compete alongside each other, we’re going to deliver a memorable and entertaining experience for all golf fans, showcasing our players’ incredible skills in a new context to a new audience.

“This is an important step forward for golf, women’s golf and the LPGA.”

PGA tour professional Tony Finau said fans had “been wanting something like this for a long time”.

Nelly Korda, who was ranked 4th in the LPGA, said the Invitational was about being “inclusive”.

“Showing people that golf can be accessible for everyone, no matter what way you play,” Korda said.

“This is going to be the perfect opportunity for me to do something important in helping to grow the game and inspire the next generation.”

The Grant Thornton Invitational will be hosted by Tiburon Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples.