Lydia Ko and Jason Day Partner for Inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational | LPGA

The LPGA and PGA Tours have announced an exciting partnership for the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. Lydia Ko and Jason Day will team up for this prestigious event, which will be held from December 8 to December 10. Sixteen teams, consisting of thirty-two players, will compete for a staggering $4 million purse at the beautiful Tiburon Golf Club’s Gold Course.

Lydia Ko is an extraordinary talent, boasting nineteen LPGA Tour victories and two major championships. She triumphed at the 2015 Amundi Evian Championship and the 2016 Chevron Championship. Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2014, Ko has achieved an impressive career total of 102 top-10 finishes. Notably, she won two LPGA Tour events as an amateur non-member, sealing the CPKC Women’s Open title both in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, she reached the pinnacle of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, spending 125 weeks as the world’s number one female golfer. Her most recent reign as the top-ranked player ran from November 2022 to April 2023.

At just 26 years old, Ko has already claimed the coveted Race to CME Globe title three times, emerging victorious in 2014, 2015, and 2022. Additionally, she was honored as the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2014. In 2015 and 2022, Ko was named Rolex Player of the Year, solidifying her status as one of the sport’s best. The talented golfer has also been honored with the prestigious Vare Trophy for achieving the lowest scoring average on Tour in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Furthermore, she received the esteemed Founders Award, an accolade bestowed upon a player who embodies the values of the LPGA and consistently displays the characteristics of the organization’s 13 founders.

Representing her home country of New Zealand, Ko competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she clinched a silver medal and a bronze medal, respectively. She currently holds the twelfth spot in the Rolex Rankings and ranks fifth on the career money list, having earned an impressive $16,695,357 throughout her career.

Ko is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to play alongside Jason Day in the Grant Thornton Invitational. She has highlighted this event on her calendar ever since its announcement. While the LPGA Tour includes the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational as an annual team-play event, the format is not one that competitors frequently encounter. As a result, Ko is thrilled to have the chance to once again participate in a team format event and play alongside a partner. Having the opportunity to team up with Jason Day makes it even more exciting for the Kiwi golfer.

“I was really looking forward to playing in this event,” said Ko. “I always enjoy team format tournaments, but they don’t come around very often for me. So I was incredibly excited about this opportunity. Regardless of who I’m paired with, team events are always a fantastic experience. They’re great for golf in general.”

Ko has long admired Jason Day as a golfer and believes he is not only talented but also a genuinely great person with a wonderful family. Although she hasn’t officially met him or engaged in a lengthy conversation before, she is excited to have the chance to connect with him. With both players hailing from Down Under, the combination of Ko and Day as a team adds an extra layer of excitement and anticipation for the December event.

Jason Day, an Australian golfing sensation, has achieved thirteen PGA Tour victories, including memorable wins at the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2016 Players Championship. The 35-year-old recently returned to the winner’s circle at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson, ending a five-year drought since his last PGA Tour triumph at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Day became a PGA Tour member in 2008 and has consistently delivered exceptional performances, earning a staggering $57,013,845 in career earnings. His meteoric rise to the world’s number one golfer occurred in 2015. Furthermore, he represented Australia in the prestigious President’s Cup four times, showcasing his talent and dedication as a team player in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.