A collaboration between the LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, and title sponsor Grant Thornton produced a new event pairing PGA Tour men with LPGA Tour women. The Grant Thornton Invitational debuted in December 2023 at the Tiburón Golf Club, in Naples, Florida, with 16 cross-tour pairs putting gender equality in golf into action. A world-class field featured Nelly Korda and Tony Finau as a pair, Lexi Thompson with Rickie Fowler, Charley Hull with Justin Rose in an English partnership, and the ultimate champions, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Jason Day. The tournament had a $4 million purse, which was equally shared between the male and female pros.
David McLay Kidd says this of Keiser, son of Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser: “Michael and his brother, Chris, have taken the pioneer’s path trodden by their father. Michael was the powerhouse behind Sand Valley, and he was there every day when I built Mammoth Dunes. He was the creative force behind the Lido, and he gave Tom Doak the concept for Sedge Valley. He is adding to golf history—and the Keiser legacy.”
A PGA professional, Lowery is a driving force behind Stephen Curry’s Underrated Golf Tour, which brings equity, access, and opportunity to student-athletes from underserved communities. “Will continues to raise the bar in how he advocates for the game and provides life opportunities to others,” notes Roger Steele. “He is a role model and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. The Underrated Golf Tour is having a global impact on the future of the game, and Will also collaborates with the AJGA [American Junior Golf Association] to host the Will Lowery Junior Championship in North Carolina. He’s a true inspiration.”
Scheffler has become the most dominant player in the golf world since Tiger Woods, and he has done it with extraordinary in-swing foot action. He reminds golfers of what Arnold Palmer used to say: “Swing your swing.”
Son of Herb Kohler and chairman and CEO of Kohler Co., David represents the fourth generation of the Kohler family to lead the Wisconsin kitchen-and-bath company, which also owns Whistling Straits and the Old Course Hotel, among other golf courses and resorts. David sits on the board of the Green Bay Packers, but he makes the Kingdom List for his work supporting military veterans. “Several years ago, Kohler came to the aid of a nonprofit organization called the Caddie School for Soldiers, which helps veterans from the U.S., UK, and Canada find new purpose in their lives after suffering from PTSD and serious physical injuries, sustained in defense of their nations,” notes David DeSmith. The efforts are ongoing, and in 2023, the Kohler Home for Soldiers opened in St Andrews, as a veterans’ refuge.
Mumm is executive producer of the Full Swing series on Netflix and founder of the golf media company Pro Shop. “The tour and the players become far more relatable when we have the means and access to connect on deeper levels. Full Swing has been critical for golf,” says Roger Steele. “The PGA Tour is investing in Mumm to help it transition into a new era, and I’m excited to see what he gets them to agree to next.”
The LPGA Tour has been looking for some star quality to move it from the sports section to the front page, and Korda answered the call in 2024. The 26-year-old won on five successive starts in the early season, culminating in the second major victory of her career, in the Chevron Championship. Only Nancy Lopez and Annika Sörenstam had previously won five straight on the LPGA Tour.
Jon Rahm’s defection to LIV Golf was going to shift the balance of power in the men’s professional game, but it is DeChambeau who kept LIV relevant in 2024. He won his second U.S. Open in June, and now, aged 31, DeChambeau has increased his appeal by finding some humility. He has also found 1.52 million YouTube subscribers.
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