Lydia Ko of New Zealand birdied the seventeenth gap and had a tap-in par at 18 as she partnered with Australia’s Jason Day to win the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational on Sunday at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Fla.
Ko and Day posted their second straight spherical of 6-under 66 to complete at 26-under 190 for the three-day blended groups occasion. They beat Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners by one shot.
The event featured 16 blended groups with one male and one feminine participant. The groups performed a scramble format Friday and foursomes (alternate shot) Saturday. Sunday’s remaining spherical was a modified four-ball, wherein each teammates teed off, then switched balls for his or her second photographs and performed that ball the remainder of the opening.
Ko and Day had a two-stroke lead coming into the day. They mixed to card six birdies with no bogey on Sunday.
ALSO READ | Paris Olympics: Kyiv says IOC permitting Russian athletes is ‘encouraging’ battle in Ukraine
“It felt like essentially the most stress-free win as a result of I simply knew (Ko) was going to step up in the long run, which was incredible,” Day stated. “It was a enjoyable week. I feel having the 2 excursions be part of this week was a enjoyable technique to end the yr out.”
“I discovered quite a bit, whether or not it was short-sided chips or simply tips on how to commit and hit bombs down there,” Ko stated of taking part in with the lads. “I feel this has simply been an awesome begin for the 2 excursions coming collectively and having a blended occasion, and I actually hope that is one thing that continues for a very long time.”
Conners and Henderson had a wild begin. They had been capable of card an eagle on the par-5 first gap and birdied the par-4 second earlier than having to accept a double bogey on the par-4 third.
They added a second eagle when Conners holed out on the par-4 ninth, and so they birdied 5 of the subsequent six holes to get to 25 below total and a final-round 63.
Swedish companions Madelene Sagstrom and Ludvig Aberg had been third at 24 below after firing a final-round 60, with 10 birdies and a late eagle.