Claire Rogers
Getty Photographs
Hi there buddies and completely happy Friday from the Grant Thornton Invitational! It was the right day in Naples, Fla., and I obtained a front-row seat to some critically good golf. Earlier than we get into all the motion from Spherical 1, check out this video of Jessica Korda completely explaining why the Grant Thornton Invitational is so cool.
I’m all-in on combined crew occasions. I’d like to see one thing with a match play format going ahead.
Rickie’s birthday shock
The enjoyable began on the fist tee at Tiburon when Lexi Thompson offered Rickie Fowler with a cake for his thirty sixth birthday. Props to the LPGA’s media crew for selecting up the cake, and phrase on the road is that any individual from their camp went the additional mile and put orange frosting on it themselves.
Not solely did Fowler get a birthday cake on the primary tee, he obtained but one other cake and balloons when he walked off the 18th inexperienced after he and Thompson carded a nine-under 63.
I suppose for those who’re pretty much as good at golf as Rickie Fowler is, you get two muffins! Should be good. Additionally, enjoyable reality: there have been two birthdays in Fowler’s group at this time. Lexi Thompson’s brother Curtis turned 31 at this time and was on the bag for his sister at Tiburon. I hope he obtained no less than one cake to have a good time the event!
Previous friends crew up
Considered one of my favourite duos this week is that of Allisen Corpuz and Sahith Theegala, who met one another within the car parking zone of a junior golf event after they have been six years outdated. Their mother and father have been friends ever since.
Theegala joked that their crew’s secret weapon this week is their dads. However not for the explanation you may suppose.
To know Sahith Theegala is to know the way supportive his household, particularly his dad, Murli, is. So I used to be anticipating that to be the explanation he and Corpuz mentioned their dads are their secret weapon this week. Nevertheless, Theegala’s clarification for it was a lot funnier.
“Our secret weapon may be our dads. If I ever hit one offline, I feel they obtained our again. Little shoulder relax within the fairway.”
Theegala would love teeing it up with me if that’s all it takes to be a secret weapon. He was kidding after all, however he may be on to one thing for us on a regular basis golfers.
Greatest presser of the day
I turned a large fan of each Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit at this time, and never due to their spectacular play (though that’s undoubtedly a bonus).
The 2 of them had a lot enjoyable teeing it up collectively (I imply, how are you going to not whenever you birdie each gap on the entrance 9?) and had such nice vitality of their post-round press convention.
Tavatanakit: I really feel like we saved it fairly chill, we simply talked about random issues. I really feel like I haven’t performed golf like this free shortly, so it’s truly a very nice feeling. I really feel very safe on the market as a result of I do know I’ve a extremely good associate.
Knapp: It’s like I obtained to spend a while with Alison Lee every week in the past so she gave me some perception on Patty. I really feel that’s the general theme of this week, type of get to know each other and in addition simply have a very good time. Nonetheless go on the market and compete clearly, however type of have enjoyable above all.
Q. What did Alison let you know about Patty?
Knapp: She mentioned she will be able to get a bit upset at instances and get down on herself possibly, so she was like simply don’t let her get that approach. I used to be like, that’s fantastic, I get upset, too. No, it was simply type of extra so similar to maintain the dialog going and simply ensure that we’ve a very good time between photographs.
Tavatanakit: Mainly, he’s simply babysitting me.
I’m positive in the event that they maintain enjoying like they’re, we’ll hear much more from them because the weekend goes on.
Claire Rogers
Golf.com Editor