PGA and LPGA Tours team up for new mixed-team event Grant Thornton International in Florida

The Grant Thornton International, a new mixed-team event involving PGA and LPGA Tour players, will be launched at the end of the year with a $4m prize pot on offer.

The new tournament was announced on Wednesday and will take place from December 4-10, 2023 at Tiburon Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples.

It will see 32 players compete over three days – 16 players from the PGA Tour and 16 from the LPGA Tour – but details around the format are still ‘in development’.

“As we look to capitalise on the growing interest in the game of golf, the addition of a mixed event to the calendar has been a priority, and we greatly appreciate title sponsor Grant Thornton for their support in delivering an event that will make our sport more appealing and welcoming to all,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“We look forward to partnering with the LPGA as we deliver first-class entertainment and competition to our fans and the residents of Southwest Florida, who have embraced the PGA Tour for the past 22 years.”

It has been 24 years since the tours last combined to stage a tournament for male and female players, and LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan heralded the move as an “important step forward”.

“We could not be more excited to add the Grant Thornton Invitational to our 2023 schedule,” she said.

“By joining forces with the PGA Tour to host a mixed event where the top male and female golfers in the world compete alongside each other, we’re going to deliver a memorable and entertaining experience for all golf fans, showcasing our players’ incredible skills in a new context to a new audience.

“This is an important step forward for golf, women’s golf and the LPGA. We’re incredibly grateful for the leadership of our partners at the PGA Tour and Grant Thornton, and we look forward to producing a best-in-class event that inspires, elevates and advances opportunities for golfers around the globe.”