What to know about Grant Thornton Invitational golf tournament, including tee times
Tiburón Golf Club in Naples will host the Grant Thornton Invitational this week, a brand-new, mixed-team event that's part of the Challenge Season.
The tournament replaces the QBE Shootout, which Greg Norman founded more than three decades ago and had been played in Naples since 2001.
The 16 mixed teams, evenly comprised of PGA and LPGA players, will compete for a $4 million purse. The three-day tournament will consist of three distinct playing formats in scramble, foursome and modified four-ball. The 32-player field features 24 of the world's top 50 ranked PGA Tour and LPGA golfers including Lilia Vu (No. 1), Ruoning Yin (No. 2), Celine Boutier (No. 3), Nelly Korda (No. 4), Jason Day (No. 21), Tony Finau (No. 22), Rickie Fowler (No. 23) and Sahith Theegala (No. 30).
The three-day event starts Friday and runs through Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are reserved for practice days and the tournament's Pro-Am is Wednesday and Thursday. The practice rounds and Pro-Am are closed to the public.
The tournament will be televised by the Golf Channel and NBC. If you plan to head out to Tiburón, here's a guide to what you'll need to know and what to expect once you arrive for the Grant Thornton Invitational.
The Teams
PGA Tour | LPGA |
Ludvig Aberg | Madelene Sagstrom |
Cameron Champ | Allisen Corpuz |
Corey Conners | Brooke Henderson |
Joel Dahmen | Lilia Vu |
Jason Day | Lydia Ko |
Harris English | Celine Boutier |
Tony Finau | Nelly Korda |
Rickie Fowler | Lexi Thompson |
Lucas Glover | Leona Maguire |
Russell Henley | Mel Reid |
Tom Hoge | Cheyenne Knight |
Billy Horschel | Andrea Lee |
Denny McCarthy | Megan Khang |
Justin Rose | Charley Hull |
Nick Taylor | Ruoning Yin |
Sahith Theegala | Rose Zhang |
Format of play
Round/Day | Format |
Round 1/Friday | Scramble |
Round 2/Saturday | Alternate Shot |
Round 3/Sunday | Modified Fourball |
Men’s yardage: 7,382 yards
Women’s yardage: 6,595 yards
How much are tickets?
Tickets are $45 for daily grounds and $110 for weekly grounds. All VIP and specialty tickets, including to the Michelob Ultra Brew House and the Garrison Brothers Distillery Bunker, are sold out.
The tournament will provide complimentary admission each day to all veterans, active, reserve and retired military personnel and their dependents. To receive a complimentary ticket, a valid proof of service must be shown at the tournament’s main gate. The offer is valid at the gate only.
For more information, visit grantthorntoninvitational.com.
Where do I park?
Tiburón is located on the same property as The Ritz-Carlton Naples. General parking is located in Lot B (Wednesday and Thursday only) and Lot C (Friday through Sunday) on Orange Blossom Drive between Airport Pulling Road and Livingston Road. The parking fee is $10 per vehicle. Shuttles will be provided to and from the golf course.
All tournament-provided parking lots are handicap accessible.
What can I do when I'm not watching golf?
The Grant Thornton Invitational Fan Zone will feature tournament merchandise, LPGA Lesson Zones with complimentary golf instruction, a 6-hole putting course, an autograph alley area and face painting and balloon art on Friday and Sunday.
Lee Health sponsors Health & Wellness Day on Saturday which features a pair of free events: Fairway Yoga starting at 8 a.m. on the 18th fairway and Burn Boot Camp, which takes place at 9 a.m. behind the 18th green.
What is Live Fest?
The fourth annual concert has become a highlight of tournament weekend.
This year's event is headlined by country music superstar Dierks Bentley, with opening acts Little Big Town and the Gin Blossoms. The concert is from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Tiburón Golf Club Driving Range. $135 general admission with other packages from $175-$315-plus. Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, 2620 Tiburon Drive, Naples.
All tickets, including general admission, are sold out. Visit livefest.com for more information.
Betting Odds
Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
Finau/Korda | (+550) | Taylor/Yin | (+1400) |
Aberg/Sagstrom | (+700) | Day/Ko | (+1400) |
Rose/Hull | (+1000) | Dahmen/Vu | (+1400) |
Theegala/Zhang | (+1100) | McCarthy/Khang | (+1600) |
Glover/Maguire | (+1100) | Horschel/Lee | (+1800) |
Fowler/Thompson | (+1100) | Hoge/Knight | (+2000) |
English/Boutier | (+1200) | Henley/Reid | (+2000) |
Conners/Henderson | (+1200) | Champ/Corpuz | (+2500) |
Friday's tee times
All starts on Hole 1
9:10 a.m.: Mel Reid/Russell Henly, Allisen Corpuz/Cameron Champ
9:25 a.m.: Leona Maguire/Lucas Glover, Madlene Sagstrom/Ludvig Aberg
9:40 a.m.: Rose Zhang/Sahith Theegala, Lilia Vu/Joel Dahmen
9:55 a.m.: Megan Khang/Denny McCarthy, Cheyenne Knight/Tom Hoge
10:10 a.m.: Brooke Henderson/Corey Conners, Ruoning Yin/Nick Taylor
10:25 a.m.: Andrea Lee/Billy Horschel, Celine Boutier/Harris English
10:40 a.m.: Lydia Ko/Jason Day, Charley Hull/Justin Rose
10:55 a.m.: Nelly Korda/Tony Finau, Lexi Thompson/Rickie Fowler
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fan's guide for Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples: What you need to know
