The PGA TOUR , the LPGA Tour and Grant Thornton LLP announced a new mixed-team Challenge Season event that will see players from the LPGA Tour and the PGA TOUR compete in a unique, co-hosted tournament.
The Grant Thornton Invitational will be held December 4-10, 2023 at Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. The event, which aims to set a precedent, allows players on the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour to compete for the same prize and attention – a new format in the current era of professional golf. The last time the two tours held an annual mixed team tournament was in 1999 when John Daly and Laura Davies won the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.
The 32-strong Grant Thornton Invitational field consists of 16 PGA TOUR and 16 LPGA Tour professionals competing for a $4 million prize purse – more format details to be announced. The three-day tournament will be televised on NBC and the Golf Channel.
“Unforgettable and fun experience”
“As we look to capitalize on the growing interest in golf, adding a mixed tournament to the calendar was a priority and we are immensely grateful to title sponsor Grant Thornton for their support in running a tournament that makes our sport more attractive and welcoming to all said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We look forward to working with the LPGA as we bring quality entertainment and competition to our fans and the residents of Southwest Florida who have inspired the PGA TOUR for the past 22 years.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to add the Grant Thornton Invitational to our 2023 schedule,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “By teaming up with the PGA TOUR to host a mixed tournament that pits the best golfers in the world against each other, we will offer all golf fans a memorable and fun experience and showcase the incredible skills of our players in a new context presenting audiences. This is an important step forward for the sport of golf, women’s golf and the LPGA. We are incredibly grateful for the leadership of our partners at the PGA TOUR and Grant Thornton, and we look forward to producing a premier event that inspires female golfers around the world,
Grant Thornton CEO Seth Siegel agrees: “At Grant Thornton, we believe golf can bring people together – to do their best, to break down barriers and to help build inclusive communities. That’s why we partner with the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour to host a tournament where the world’s best golfers can compete at eye level.We know players and fans alike will be excited about this unique event and its importance to the sport and society. “
Voices of the professional golfers
Grant Thornton, an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA TOUR, currently sponsors a number of golf ambassadors who are making a difference both on and off the course. These include sports host Michael Wilbon and pro golfers Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda, Mel Reid and Cameron Champ, whose Mack Champ Invitational tournament hosts the best up-and-coming golfers from all backgrounds. The company also operates an initiative that helps Historically Black Colleges and Universities promote golf and create new opportunities for student athletes. The company currently supports golf programs at Alabama State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Prairie View A&M, Tennessee State and Texas Southern.
“PGA TOUR athletes playing alongside the best female athletes on the LPGA Tour will be incredible to our fans,” said Tony Finau , PGA TOUR professional golfer. “They’ve wanted something like this for a long time. Our fans deserve it and to have Grant Thornton help the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour organize this tournament is something I think is very special.”
“The Grant Thornton Invitational is really about being inclusive and showing people that golf can be accessible to everyone, no matter how you play it,” said Nelly Korda, LPGA Tour pro golfer . “This is the perfect opportunity for me to do something important to advance the game and inspire the next generation.”
The Grant Thornton Invitational will support a number of charities including CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, while QBE Insurance, Franklin Templeton Investments and The Naples Convention & Visitors Bureau have pledged to support the tournament in Southwest Florida in a meaningful way. Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón will continue to host the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, returning November 16-19, 2023 with Lydia Ko as the defending champion.
Source: Golf Post
