Grant Thornton Invitational: Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp lead after first day of combined group occasion | Golf information

Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp birdied their first 9 holes and added a late eagle en path to taking a one-shot lead after the primary day of the Grant Thornton Invitational.

The combined group occasion that includes stars from the PGA and LPGA Tour makes use of three completely different codecs over three rounds. In Friday’s melee format — during which each gamers every take a shot and choose the ball they’ll use for the subsequent shot — Tavatanakit and Knapp shot a 14-under-par 58 at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Florida.

That was sufficient to push them previous Jennifer Kupcho and Akshay Bhatia and Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners right into a tie for second at 13 beneath.

The second spherical can be performed in foursomes (alternating pictures) and the third spherical can be a modified four-ball sport, the place each gamers tee off and alter balls for his or her second shot earlier than then taking part in the identical ball till it’s holed.

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Saturday December 14 at 7 p.m.

Maja Stark and JT Poston are three lengths off the lead after a gap 61, joined in a tie for fourth place by Sahith Theegala and Allisen Corpuz.

Three-time main winner Lydia Ko and former males’s primary Jason Day, who received final 12 months’s occasion, opened Friday with a 10-under 62 and are tied for sixth with Jeeno Thitikul and Tom Kim.

A bit additional away are Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler, in addition to ladies’s world quantity 1s Nelly Korda and Daniel Berger.

Tony Finau was to be Korda’s accomplice, however withdrew whereas recovering from knee surgical procedure, and Berger took his place.

Tavatanakit mentioned after she and Knapp acquired a first-day lead: “I really feel like we stayed fairly calm, we simply talked about random issues.

“I really feel like I have never performed golf totally free shortly, so it is really a very nice feeling. I really feel very protected as a result of I do know I’ve a very good accomplice .”

What’s the Grant Thornton Invitational?

The 54-hole competitors is a combined group occasion that sees 16 LPGA Tour professionals and 16 PGA Tour professionals compete collectively in a singular co-sanctioned match.

The three-day match options three completely different codecs of group play and permits all 32 gamers to compete for equal prize cash and publicity.

That is the second consecutive 12 months the match has been on the calendar, having launched in 2023 as the primary co-sanctioned occasion between the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour because the JCPenney Traditional in 1999.

Watch the Grant Thornton Invitational all week lengthy dwell on Sky Sports activities. Stay protection of the second spherical begins Saturday Friday from 7 p.m. on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and more with NOW.

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