Miami (AFP) – Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit and American Jake Knapp birdied two of the last three holes to grab a one-stroke victory at the Grant Thornton Invitational, a PGA and LPGA pairs tournament. Patty and Knapp finished the 54-hole tournament on 27-under-par 189 after firing a seven-under 65 in the final round at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, to claim $500,000 each for the triumph.
Birdies at the par-3 16th and par-5 17th, combined with three other birdies and an opening eagle in a bogey-free last day, lifted Knapp and Patty over runners-up Tom Kim of South Korea and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who birdied 17 and 18 to finish on 190 after a closing 64.
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The 16-duo tournament featured a first-round scramble format, an alternate-shot format in round two, and a final-round modified four-ball in which golfers play their partner’s tee shot to the conclusion of the hole. Knapp and Patty combined for a 58 in the opening round and a 66 in round two while Kim and Jeeno opened with a 62 and closed with back-to-back rounds of 64.
Knapp, 30, captured his first PGA Tour title in February at the Mexico Open. Patty, 25, won her first LPGA title at a major, the 2021 ANA Inspiration, and added prior titles in back-to-back weeks this past February at the LPGA Thailand event and the Saudi Ladies International.
© 2024 AFP
