WiretoWire: Team Lydia Ko-Jason Day triumph at Tiburón

[View in browser]() [PGA TOUR Wire to Wire]() [lydia-ko-jason-day.jpg]() Lydia Ko and Jason Day finished at 26-under par. (Getty Images) TEEING OFF [KO-DAY TRIUMPHANT AT TIBURÓN, WINS GRANT THORNTON]() The first mixed-team co-sanctioned event between the LPGA and PGA TOUR since 1999 didn’t fail to disappoint. At one point during the final round at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, it was any team's for the taking. The Canadians (Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners) gave it a run with two eagles on the front nine at Tiburón Golf Club. Then came Swedes (Madelene Sagström and Ludvig Åberg) shooting a back-nine 28 in the modified Four-ball format to climb into contention. But in the end, it was Lydia Ko and Jason Day, the team from Australasia that held the second-round lead, [who closed out the win at 26-under par](). A finely struck 3-wood from Ko on the par-5 17th setup birdie for the winning number and a victory parade down the last. “It felt like the most stress-free win,” Day joked after the final putt. “I just knew she would step up in the end which was fantastic. It was a fun week, having the two Tours join this week was a fun way to finish the year out and I’m hoping we get to do it for a very long time.” The 19-time LPGA Tour winner agreed saying, “This has just been a great start for the two Tours coming together and having a mixed event.” [Ko and Day take home $500,000 each for their triumph at Tiburón]() and the bragging rights across both Tours. [TEAM USA WINS BY RAZOR-THIN MARGIN AT INAUGURAL WORLD CHAMPIONS CUP]() Despite 648 points up for grabs in the first-ever World Champions Cup, featuring Team Europe, Team USA and Team International [competing in a three-day event](), Team USA’s margin of victory was miniscule, with only a half-point deficit remaining between Team USA and Team International during the final stretch. Captain Jim Furyk led Team USA to victory in the afternoon Sunday Singles session, overcoming a 1.5 point deficit to Team International after the morning Singles session. [Momentum swung fast](), as Team International rallied from an 8.5-point deficit to Team Europe on Thursday and took a half-point lead on Team USA on Friday. The three captains, Ernie Els representing Team International, Europe's Darren Clarke and USA’s Furyk [(who removed himself from playing due to injury]()) championed a thrilling three days of golf at The Concession Club in Bradenton, Florida, with a Team USA victory that came down to the wire. [TOUR CARDS, STATUS ON THE LINE AT FINAL STAGE OF Q-SCHOOL]() For the [168 golfers heading to Northeast Florida]() to try to earn PGA TOUR cards at the Q-School – for the first time since 2012 – just the [final four rounds of Final Stage at Q-School]() presented by Korn Ferry are left on the calendar. The pressure comes to a head as TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley) and Sawgrass Country Club will host players fighting to finish in the [top five (and ties) and earn the last remaining PGA TOUR cards]() of the 2024 season. The next 40 finishers (and ties) will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season. [Seventy-nine players advanced to Final Stage via Second Stage](), while the remainder of the field earned direct access to Final Stage through various exemption categories. Wesley Bryan heads to Final Stage after sneaking into the field after his finish at The RSM Classic. There are a handful of recent PGA TOUR winners who find themselves at Final Stage including Brice Garnett, Austin Cook, Richy Werenski, Adam Long and Patton Kizzire. Three of the top five from the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking are in action including Ross Steelman, Fred Biondi and Sam Bennett – who earned Low Amateur honors at the Masters. Plenty is at stake in this no-cut event for golfers trying to secure status and eligibility for next season. [TEAM WOODS AMONG STARS SET FOR PNC CHAMPIONSHIP]() Tiger and Charlie Woods are [teeing it up at the PNC Championship for the fourth time.]() Their best result came in 2021 when they finished second. Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi are the only team making their debut this year. Stricker won six times on PGA TOUR Champions this season and had another five runner-up results. Izzi Stricker is a recent commit to play golf at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and also caddied for Steve as he won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. In their 16th appearance, the team of Vijay Singh and son Qass finally won the PNC Championship in 2022. The Singhs had nine top-five finishes in their career at the PNC, including three runner-up results. They shot two rounds of 59, becoming the first team in the tournament’s history to shoot two sub-60 rounds. They won by two over John Daly and his son John Daly II, and Justin Thomas and his father Mike, who are also returning to Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, in Orlando, Florida. VIDEO OF THE WEEK [lexi-hole-in-one-gti.png]() During the second round of the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational, Lexi Thompson made a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole THE TURN MIC CHECK "I don't think I've seen so many female junior golfers out at an event, especially a PGA TOUR event, as I did see them this week. This is something that I think we have to keep striving towards." — Jason Day after the conclusion of the Grant Thornton Invitational BY THE NUMBERS 4 Of the five players that earned PGA TOUR Champions status Friday at the PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament’s Final Stage, [four of them hail from Australia.]() 8 The number of teams at the Grant Thornton Invitational, where LPGA and PGA Tour players [teamed up for a mutual-admiration society.]() GET CONNECTED TO THE PGA TOUR [FB]() [TW]() [YT]() [IG]() [TT]() [SNAP]() [PHONE]() [FB MSG]() You are receiving this email advertisement because you registered to receive updates and promotional offers from the PGA TOUR. 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