The Grant Thornton Invitational is back for its third edition. This year’s field (16 teams) boasts a combined 137 LPGA and PGA Tour career wins, including nine from 2025 alone. Seven countries will be in the mix. And past champions Jason Day and Lydia Ko (2023), plus Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit (2024), are all returning. Wondering how this all works? Here’s the lowdown.

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Overview of the Grant Thornton Invitational format and schedule

The 16 mixed teams will tackle three formats after women and men golfers are paired up: Scramble, Foursomes, and Modified Four-ball.

Round 1 (Friday): Scramble – The 16 mixed teams will play Scramble. Each player tees off, then the team picks the best ball. Both players hit their next shots from there, repeating until the ball is holed.

Round 2 (Saturday): Foursomes – Also known as alternate shot, where teammates take turns hitting the same ball until it’s in the hole. One tees off on odd holes, the other on even holes.

Round 3 (Sunday): Modified Four-ball – A twist where both players tee off, then swap balls for their second shots and play those balls until holed. The team counts the lower partner’s score, giving the best shot the spotlight, which counts as the team’s score.

All the 16 teams, like Lilia Vu and Tony Finau, Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners, among others, will be competing for a total purse of $4M. It will also serve as Knapp’s first appearance since the tragic passing of his girlfriend, Makena White.

On the other hand, after the event, both the PGA Tour and LPGA will conclude once again. Interestingly, the Grant Thornton Invitational serves as a replacement for Greg Norman’s Shootout, an event put on a halt after his move to LIV. Regardless, now that it’s clear how the teams will battle each other out, here are the top names (or teams) that are worth keeping an eye on. 

Team selection for 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational

Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson look like they might just pick the trophy this time around. In the first two editions, the pairs finished T2 and T4, respectively. Add to that their recent form, and you might just have a solid argument there. Struggling with a tough season, Conners finished seventh at last week’s Hero World Challenge. Henderson, too, finished seventh at the Tour Championship. That’s a positive number.

Charley Hull was originally paired with Daniel Berger, but Berger has since withdrawn from the event. No official reason was given, but considering Berger’s finger injury from August, that’s likely the case. Stepping in to save the day, Michael Brennan will now team up with Hull.

Denny McCarthy is paired with Nelly Korda, who has failed to register a win this season. Yes, that is despite her amazing stats, including seven top-five finishes in 2025. On the other hand, Korda’s best Grant Thornton Invitational performance came with Tony Finau back in 2023, where they finished T4. McCarthy, too, performed his best in the same edition with Megan Khang, finishing T4.

Jennifer Kupcho and Chris Gotterup might just steal the show. Beyond their wins — Kupcho at the ShopRite Classic and Gotterup at the Scottish Open — they’re serious birdie machines. Gotterup ranked 48th in Birdie Average on the PGA Tour this season, while Kupcho sits comfortably in the LPGA top 10 with a 23.52% birdie rate. Gotterup is making his debut, but Kupcho already finished third with Akshay Bhatia last year.

Other than them, Jessica Korda & Bud Cauley, Lottie Woad & Luke Clanton, Lexi Thompson & Wyndham Clark, and Lydia Ko & Jason Day are also playing the event. Lastly, Lilia Vu & Tony Finau, Angel Yin & Tom Hoge, Andrea Lee & Billy Horschel, Rose Zhang & Michael Kim, and four more teams will also be on the field.

Round 2 of the tournament is scheduled to tee off on Saturday, December 13, at 11:00 A.M. (EST). But you can catch the broadcast live from 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. (EST) on the Golf Channel and from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. (EST) on NBC.