The Grant Thornton Invitational just dropped its player list for December, and let me tell you, it’s a stacked deck. We’re talking 32 players forming 16 mixed teams, all heading to Tiburón Golf Club in Naples from Dec. 11-13. This crew holds a combined 145 LPGA Tour and PGA Tour career victories, with a whopping 22 of those wins happening just this year, 2026!
December’s Golf Showdown Is Bringing the Fire
Seriously, nine major champions are in this field, and that includes this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and Chevron Championship winner, Nelly Korda. Plus, you’ve got the Women’s PGA and Evian Championship winner, Haeran Ryu, ready to roll. Players from ten different countries are repping their flags, and here’s the kicker: all three past championship teams are coming back to Naples to defend their turf. But it’s not just familiar faces; there are 11 new teams in the mix, featuring 11 first-time competitors in the event. Rob Hartman, the Tournament Director, said they’re “incredibly pleased” with the teams, noting how strong interest is from both tours. He’s hyped for the blend of “young rising stars and established veterans” descending on Tiburón. They’re all gunning for an equal purse of $4.1 million, battling it out over three days with Scramble, Foursomes, and Modified Four-Ball formats.
The Return of the Champs: Records, Gold Medals, and Dominance
Talk about a showdown! Last year’s champions, Lauren Coughlin (WWGR: 19) and Andrew Novak (OWGR: 88), are back after setting a tournament record with a 28-under-par score. They won by three strokes, also a record, and sank 27 birdies in three rounds, which is the second most in tournament history. Coughlin, 34, is on her third straight start and has three LPGA Tour wins, including one this year. Novak, 31, snagged his first PGA Tour win last year.
Then you’ve got the 2024 champions, Patty Tavatanakit (WWGR: 29) and Jake Knapp (OWGR: 51). This duo has three career wins between them across their tours, and combined for eight top-10 finishes this season alone. Tavatanakit, 27, was the 2021 Rookie of the Year and has two LPGA wins. Knapp, 31, has one PGA Tour title. And who could forget the inaugural champions, Lydia Ko (WWGR: 14) and Jason Day (OWGR: 79)? These former World No. 1 players have the most individual career titles in the field. Ko, an LPGA Hall of Famer, has an insane 23 victories, plus she won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Day, 38, is a 13-time winner, including the 2015 PGA Championship.
New Teams to Watch: A Former World No. 1 Ready to Make Waves
While the returning champions are a huge storyline, keep an eye on the new blood. Lilia Vu (WWGR: 276) and Michael Kim (OWGR: 69) are a fresh pairing this year, and Vu is making her fourth start in the tournament. She’s a former World No. 1 player, a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, with four victories in 2023 including two major championships! She was even named Rolex Player of the Year that season. Kim, 33, has three top-10 finishes this season and one career PGA Tour win. This new team, along with the other ten first-timers, could totally shake things up. December 11th seriously can’t come fast enough. With this kind of field, especially with everyone gunning for those returning champs, Tiburón is gonna be straight fire.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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