Tony Finau along with his Grant Thornton companion Nelly Korda.
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Every week there’s loads for golf followers to study from watching PGA Tour and LPGA Tour gamers. This week? They get to study from one another.
The Grant Thornton Invitational has introduced a contemporary look to the autumn schedule, changing the longtime Shark Shootout with an occasion co-sanctioned by the 2 excursions. Sixteen PGA Tour gamers are paired with 16 LPGA Tour gamers for the three-day competitors. That means loads of probabilities for PGA Tour pros to amaze their taking part in companions — and the opposite method round.
With sooner or later remaining, the occasion appears from the surface like a large success. Lydia Ko and Jason Day lead at 20 below par, with the big-hitting tandem of Tony Finau and Nelly Korda behind them at 18 below par, tied with the sweet-swinging Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover. Crowds crammed the grandstands at Tiburon Golf Club. The broadcast confirmed Day and Ko and Rose Zhang signing autographs facet by facet, serving as a reminder: this is the good things.
It’s inconceivable to disregard the context of this week’s occasion, which is being performed in parallel to Jon Rahm finalizing his LIV deal and works to assist signal future teammates. But let’s ignore that for now, only for a second, to understand the shared information from first-time golf teammates.
Before the competitors even started, Tony Finau mentioned he was blown away by taking part in companion Nelly Korda and her stature within the sport.
“I look up to Nelly,” he mentioned. “Even though she’s younger than me, she’s an incredible golfer. She’s been the No. 1 player in the world in the women’s game, and she’s someone that I think quite frankly a lot of us can still even learn from on the men’s side.”
He additionally mentioned he was in search of some particular recommendation.
“I’ll be looking to pick up a few tips,” he mentioned. “Yesterday I asked her about chipping. She’s an incredible chipper on this Bermuda, growing up in Florida. I didn’t grow up on Bermuda, so I’m always trying to get little tips on how to chip around these greens, and she’s as good a chipper as you’ll see on Bermuda. I’m sure on any type of grass but especially Bermuda. I already picked up a few things just watching her yesterday.”
The reward was a two-way road.
“I love the way how athletic his entire game is,” Korda mentioned of Finau. “He sees a shot, visualizes it, and then hits it, and I love that style of play. There’s not much overanalyzing, which I feel like that’s how I play, as well,” she mentioned.
Another pre-tournament press convention launched Joel Dahmen alongside companion and World No. 1 Lilia Vu; he was understandably excited with that draw.
“I hit it in play a lot, I hit a lot of greens and then to watch her make all the putts is going to be really fun,” he mentioned. Vu added that she was nervous — Dahmen was having none of that.
“What is there to be nervous about? It’s the offseason, you’re the best player in the world, we’re just goofing off and we’re going to beat most players here,” he mentioned.
Sahith Theegala mentioned he admired what his companion Rose Zhang does earlier than she even hits a shot.
“It’s been great for me, even before this tournament, just knowing how good just her process is and sticking to the same process over and over. I’ve definitely tried to take some of that and just try and get some of that rhythm through osmosis into my golf swing.”
As for Zhang? If she’s a mannequin for course of, repeatability and consistency, she admires the hearth and unpredictability of her taking part in companion.
“It was so incredible just watching from on TV, his athleticism and his ability to just get out of trouble. Even just — he makes birdie from practically anywhere, from the bushes, from the trees,” she mentioned. “Just his overall demeanor on the golf course, he’s very competitive,” she mentioned. “Even though he’s really chill here, I really love the drive that he has when he’s out there. So I’ve definitely taken that and used it as inspiration as well.”
This is every week of recent pals and new learnings. For World No. 2 Ruoning Yin, it marks the primary time she’s performed with PGA Tour pros.
“To be able to see them even just practice on the range, it’s a different feeling,” she mentioned. “Sounds different. Like, they hit the ball so far, and it just sounds different, like high-quality shots.”
Corey Conners, who’s taking part in with fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson, has performed the QBE Shootout in recent times — and he was impressed with this 12 months’s relative turnout. The thought appears to be working.
“Definitely a lot more people out here than I’ve experienced in the past,” he mentioned.
Conners was additionally requested what male amateurs would possibly be capable to study from watching LPGA pros. He rejected the premise of the query.
“I don’t think many amateur golfers in the world can do what they do. It’s been awesome to
watch and fun to be a part of,” he mentioned.
“It’s astonishing. I don’t get to watch them up close very often myself. I knew they were really good, but I’ve really been blown away. The consistency, the way they handle themselves and manage their game is really, really impressive.”
He was amongst those that expressed an curiosity in additional frequent crossover occasions.
“My hope is that it leads to more events where the PGA Tour players and LPGA players can compete with or against each other,” he mentioned. “The girls are so impressive. It was really awesome watching Brooke and Ruoning out there today. It’s pretty sweet to be able to team up with them.”
Theegala described the LPGA pros as taking part in “a different game, almost.”
“Like, I think some of these fairways are very narrow and they’re still getting it 270, 275 right down the middle and we’re not that much longer than that. Even the approach shots are just so much tighter, the dispersion’s tighter. It’s cool to see. Yeah, it’s a lot of fun, too. It’s just fun.”
“Just being able to see them in person and alongside them, to be in the same group and play
kind of the same golf course at the same time is just a great honor for me,” Zhang added. “So much inspiration. There’s been so much for me to learn and slowly grow, develop.”
Just don’t count on the gamers from one Tour to repeat every part their companions do. Take Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler, who wore matching outfits on Friday and Saturday and performed their method right into a share of fourth.
They received’t be on the identical fashion web page come Sunday, when Fowler will don his trademark shade of Pantone 021.
“I just don’t have a lot of orange,” Thompson admitted.
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