Denny McCarthy and Nelly Korda are among the favorites to win the Grant Thornton Invitational this week.
The unique event sees some of the world’s best male and female players team up for three rounds at the Tiburon Golf Club in Florida.
McCarthy and Korda are one of the strongest pairings in the competition and should be in contention on Sunday.
Ahead of the tournament, McCarthy has explained what he admires about his LPGA teammate’s game.
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Denny McCarthy praises Nelly Korda’s short game and temperament
Nelly Korda has been at the top of women’s golf since 2018, when she won her first LPGA tournament in Taiwan.
Korda has since won 20 professional events, including two major championships, and is currently number two in the world rankings.
It’s hard not to be impressed by her game, and Denny McCarthy was no exception when he played with her three years ago.
The pair first teamed up at the QBE Shootout in 2022, and McCarthy has admired Korda’s short game and temperament ever since.
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They will be hoping that their existing chemistry from playing together helps them at the Grant Thornton Invitational.
“Yeah, when I was playing with Nelly back three years ago, I knew she was a great ball-striker, I knew she was going to hit it great,” said the PGA Tour winner.
“I was really impressed with how she handled… she never got too high, never got too low, but some really tricky shots around the green into the grain.
“This place has some nasty into-the-grain shots, and her short game really showed off that week. I feel like I kind of stole a couple of her little techniques that she uses on her short game that I can kind of use to this day. So thank you.”
Nelly Korda wants Grant Thornton Invitational to ‘grow the game’
The Grant Thornton Invitational is unlike any other event because it features the best players from the PGA and LPGA Tours.
It’s not only exciting for the players to participate in a different format, but the fans also enjoy watching the two tours come together.
Korda said before this week’s tournament that she views the Grant Thornton Invitational as a great opportunity to “grow the game.”
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“Yeah, the best way to grow the game is for us to come together and lift each other up, support each other. That’s what this tournament does,” Korda explained.
“It showcases the best women and men coming together and having fun and playing something different, something that we don’t get to do every single day.
“At the end of the day, I think that just brings so much excitement to what the normal golf fans usually see week in and week out.”
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