PGA Tour, LPGA to Relaunch Mixed-Team Competition in December

The last time the tours played together in a mixed event was the JC Penney Classic, which ended in 1999.

The LPGA Tour and PGA Tour are teaming up.

Announced Wednesday, the Grant Thornton Invitational will debut in December at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., and will feature 32 golfers—16 men and 16 women—competing for a $4 million purse.

Additional format details are in development.

“PGA Tour athletes playing alongside the best athletes from the LPGA Tour is going to be incredible for our fans,” Tony Finau said. “They’ve been wanting something like this for a long time. Our fans deserve it and seeing Grant Thornton stepping up to help the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour put together this tournament, I think is very special.”

The last time the two tours held a mixed-team competition was in 1999, with John Daly and Laura Davies winning the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said adding a mixed event to its calendar had “been a priority.” After the Tour Championship and the conclusion of the FedExCup playoffs this summer, the balance of the PGA Tour’s 2023 schedule remains to be determined. The Tour will be moving to a calendar-year season in 2024, however, after a decade of wraparound seasons.

If there’s any indication of what the fall portion of the 2023 schedule will look like, the Grant Thornton Invitational has been called a “Challenge Season” event.

This event will, essentially, replace the QBE Shootout.

Denny McCarthy and Nelly Korda finished T5 in the 2022 QBE Shootout; two of the 12 teams had a PGA and LPGA pro together :: Andrew West/USA TODAY Network

Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda participated in last year’s QBE Shootout event, with plenty of the PGA Tour’s best heaping praise on Korda and her game.

"[Max Homa and I] talked about it all day. I think I called her the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour at one point," Kevin Kisner said.

“… I don't know how she does not win every week,” added Homa. “It's a testament to these other ladies that anyone can even sniff beating her because that was wildly impressive."

Finau will be paired with Nelly Korda while Jessica Korda and Rickie Fowler will also be a team. Mel Reid and Cameron Champ are also Grant Thornton ambassadors and will likely be in the field.

The format will allow for plenty of intriguing team-ups. What about world No. 1 Lydia Ko with fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox? Or the top-ranked Canadian connection of Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners? Brother-sister duo Minjee and Min Woo Lee of Australia?Danielle Kang and Homa—who already had a bit of a back-and-forth this year?

Regardless of the final field, LPGA Tour commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said she’s looking forward to having the top male and female golfers compete alongside each other to showcase the LPGA Tour’s skills to a new audience.

“This is an important step forward for golf, women’s golf, and the LPGA,” she said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the leadership of our partners at the PGA Tour and Grant Thornton, and we look forward to producing a best-in-class event that inspires, elevates, and advances opportunities for golfers around the globe.”

Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegala won the 2022 QBE Shootout by one over Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer. Korda and partner Denny McCarthy were tied for fifth.

The three-day event will be televised on NBC and Golf Channel— the 10th event for the LPGA Tour in 2023 that is set to be on network TV.