Excitement Builds at the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida

Excitement at the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida!

Welcome to sunny Naples, Florida, where the action is heating up at the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational! The buzz around this tournament is undeniable, and it’s all thanks to a thrilling first day on the green. Fans are eager to see who will rise to the challenge as the second round kicks off this Saturday.

The star duo of Jennifer Kupcho and Akshay Bhatia certainly brought their A-game in Friday’s opening scramble. They lit up the course with an impressive 13-under 59 score. Sounds fantastic, right? But hold your horses—because they weren’t the leaders of the pack! Nope! The crown for the first-round lead actually goes to none other than Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp, who wowed the crowd with a jaw-dropping 58—just one stroke ahead of Team Kupcho and Bhatia. Talk about nail-biting drama!

What’s Coming Up Next?

As we look ahead to Saturday, the excitement is palpable. These two stellar teams will battle it out together in the final pairing, teeing off at precisely 12:19 p.m. ET. Can you feel the anticipation? Fans can tune in to catch every moment as it unfolds live on NBC and Golf Channel.

Get your snacks ready! Golf Channel takes the lead at 2 p.m. ET, transitioning to NBC’s coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET. If you can’t catch it on TV, don’t fret—you can also stream the event live on services like Peacock or through NBCSports.com, provided you have a valid cable subscription.

Round 2 Tee Times Revealed!

In case you’re wondering who’s teeing off when, here’s a handy breakdown of Saturday’s second round tee times:

• 10:55 a.m. – Gabi Ruffels/Nick Dunlap; Mel Reid/Cameron Champ
• 11:07 a.m. – Megan Khang/Matt Kuchar; Andrea Lee/Max Greyserman;
• 11:19 a.m. – Lexi Thompson/Rickie Fowler; Nelly Korda/Daniel Berger
• 11:31 a.m. – Lauren Coughlin/Cameron Young; Lilia Vu/Luke List
• 11:43 a.m. – Lydia Ko/Jason Day; Celine Boutier/Matthieu Pavon
• 11:55 a.m. – Allisen Corpuz/Sahith Theegala; Jeeno Thitikul/Tom Kim
• 12:07 p.m. – Brooke Henderson/Corey Conners; Maja Stark/J.T. Poston
• 12:19 p.m. – Patty Tavatanakit/Jake Knapp; Jennifer Kupcho/Akshay Bhatia

What’s at Stake?

The pressure is on as players are vying for top honors and a substantial prize pool. Golf fans are glued to their screens, wondering if Kupcho and Bhatia can bounce back to claim the lead, or if Tavatanakit and Knapp will extend their edge. The competition promises to be fierce and exhilarating!

So, mark your calendars and gather your golf buddies! This weekend at the Grant Thornton Invitational is something you won’t want to miss as these talented athletes showcase their skills on the magnificent Tiburon Golf Club course. Who’s your favorite to take home the trophy?