Kiwi Lydia Ko has finished 2023 on a high note, conquering the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, alongside Australia Jason Day in Naples, Florida.
Starting the day with a two-stroke lead over Americans Nellie Korda and Tony Finau after two rounds of the 54-hole, mixed-format event, Ko and Day repelled the late charge of Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners to close out victory.
Their final round of six-under 66 saw them finish 26-under overall for the tournament at the Tiburon Golf Club, with Henderson and Conners at 25-under. The Swedish duo of Madelene Sagstrom and Ludvig Aberg came in third with 24-under.
Day and Ko combined for six birdies on a bogey-free final day, en route to victory.
Despite not being an official tour event, the result will be a welcome boost for Ko, after her struggles in 2023, which have seen her drop outside the top-10 of the world rankings and barely retain her LPGA tour card.
While the win won't count towards her LPGA tilt, it was Ko's first of the year. Her best performance was third at the BMW Ladies Championship in October, she managed just two top-10 finishes - the other was her first outing of the year in Thailand - and missed four cuts.
With an overall prize purse of US$4 million, Ko and Day will split $1m as the event winners. The tournament is the first joint promotion between the PGA Tour (men) and LPGA Tour (women), since John Daly and Laura Davies won the 1999 JC Penney Classic in 1999.
The tournament featured 16 mixed teams with one male and one female player. The teams played a scramble format Saturday and foursomes (alternate shot) Sunday.
Monday's final round was a modified four-ball, in which both teammates teed off, then played their partner's ball the rest of the hole.
"I learned a lot, whether it was shortsided chips, or just how to commit and hit bombs down there," said Ko of playing with the men.
"I think this has just been a great start for the two tours coming together and having a mixed event, and I really hope this is something that continues for a long time."
