The Grant Thornton Invitational is back this week, pairing the best players from the LPGA Tour with players from the PGA Tour for a three-day event in Naples. Here is every team at The Grant Thornton Invitational ranked by likelihood to win:
No. 16 – Jessica Korda and Bud Cauley – It is a fun story to see Jessica Korda back in action for the first time in over two years. That being said, it is hard to imagine her and Bud Cauley getting into real contention here. She will undoubtedly have rust after her injury and pregnancy keeping her from competition for so long, and Bud Cauley has one top-30 finish on the PGA Tour since July.
No. 15 – Maja Stark and Neal Shipley – This is a fun pairing of players, with major champion Maja Stark playing alongside elite former amateur Neal Shipley. Stark hasn’t done all that much since her U.S. Open win early this summer though, with just one top-15 finish since the beginning of June. Shipley doesn’t come in with much experience to make matters a bit worse. The upside here could be high, but it is hard to imagine them coming out on top.
No. 14 – Lilia Vu and Tony Finau – On paper, this might be the strongest overall team. Vu is a two-time major champion and former LPGA Tour Player of the Year, while Finau at his peak was one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour. Neither player though is coming in with much form partially because of injury issues. The last time either player finished in the top 30 on their respective tour was May.
No. 13 – Rose Zhang and Michael Kim – From the top 13, it wouldn’t particularly shock me if any team wins. It is a deep field of LPGA Tour stars and most of the PGA Tour players are on a similar level. Zhang had some bright moments at the end of the LPGA season, but had a bit of a strange season with inconsistent plays and injury issues. Michael Kim is a solid partner who has a recent top-10 finish, but its also his only top-25 since May.
No. 12 – Angel Yin and Tom Hoge – While Angel Yin is obviously a strong, well-rounded player, one of the best all around on the LPGA Tour, she really struggled down the stretch of the LPGA Tour season. Speaking of, Tom Hoge did as well, with six missed cuts and no top-20 finishes since July. The best thing this team has going for it, is how well Angel Yin plays in these formats and how good of a partner she generally is.
