Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp elevated their lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational following a powerful show on day two.
Though the pair did not match the heroics of day one the place they birdied their first 9 holes on their approach to a 14-under-par 58, Tavatanakit and Knapp really elevated their result in two strokes somewhat than one as they went round in 66 to sit down atop the leaderboard at 20-under par.
The blended staff occasion that includes PGA and LPGA Tour stars on the Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Florida, employs three completely different codecs over three rounds and completed with a modified four-ball, the place each gamers tee off and swap balls for his or her second photographs earlier than then taking part in that very same ball till it’s holed.
Tavatanakit and Knapp admitted they did not discover it simple on day two as inclement climate made play troublesome within the USA’s southernmost state, however a optimistic mindset proved important for the pairing.
“The first nine holes were just brutal with how much wind there was, rain, everything else,” mentioned Knapp. “She did an incredible job of protecting me optimistic.
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“I think we just did a good job of kind of following up bad shots with good shots and we were able to just grind it out.”
Jeeno Thitikul and Tom Kim climbed as much as second place after capturing an eight-under-par 64, to maneuver on to 18-under par, nudging forward of Jennifer Kupcho and Akshay Bhatia who’re a shot additional again.
Three-time main winner Lydia Ko and former males’s No 1 Jason Day, who gained final yr’s occasion, adopted up a 10-under 62 on Friday with a 67 to sit down 15-under par, 5 photographs off the lead.
“The chemistry that our whole team has even with our caddies has been great,” mentioned Ko.
“I’m just excited for tomorrow and I feel like we’ve got a really good one and we’ve been consistently playing better. So hopefully today’s back nine will give us good momentum for tomorrow.”
Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp proceed to prepared the ground heading into the ultimate spherical on Sunday
What’s the Grant Thornton Invitational?
The 54-hole competitors is a mixed-team occasion that sees 16 LPGA Tour and 16 PGA Tour professionals compete collectively in a singular co-sanctioned event.
The three-day event affords three completely different codecs of staff play and permits the 32-player area to compete for equal prize cash and visibility.
It’s the second successive yr the event has featured on the schedule, having been launched in 2023 as the primary co-sanctioned occasion between the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour for the reason that JCPenney Basic in 1999.
Watch the Grant Thornton Invitational all through the weekend dwell on Sky Sports activities. Stay protection from the third spherical begins on Sunday from 6pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and extra with NOW.
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