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NAPLES, Fla. – There are new followers out at Tiburon Golf Membership for this week’s Grant Thornton Invitational. In reality, event officers say ticket gross sales and concession gross sales on the similar venue because the QBE Shootout have greater than doubled for the reason that format modified this yr to a mixed-team occasion.
Hospitality for the 16-team occasion and Saturday’s live performance on the Tiburon driving vary bought out.
That was at all times the hope, after all, that placing the PGA Tour and LPGA collectively would draw extra curiosity.
For a lot of PGA Tour gamers, this marks the primary time they’ve teed it up in competitors with an elite LPGA participant, and it’s been an eye-opening expertise.
Those that comply with the ladies’s sport carefully have lengthy mentioned that male newbie gamers can study extra from watching the LPGA than the PGA Tour as a result of it’s a extra relatable sport.
Golfweek requested a number of PGA Tour gamers within the subject what they assume male newbie gamers can study from the ladies and apart from “every thing,” right here’s what they mentioned:
Andrea Lee of the USA and Billy Horschel of the USA react on the 18th inexperienced through the first spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Douglas DeFelice/Getty Photographs)
“Once I grew up, one factor my dad mentioned, clearly we watched plenty of the PGA Tour, however we watched plenty of the LPGA since you may relate much more primarily based off of swing speeds and the best way they play the sport …
“Simply the best way they plot themselves across the golf course. The bulk that I’ve performed with, they don’t tackle any pointless threat in comparison with perhaps the fellows. Once I watch the LPGA, I don’t see them short-side themselves so much. Now, that’s not at all times the case on the PGA Tour, like I mentioned we’re a little bit extra aggressive bunch at instances. But in addition that’s due to our ball-flight. We will carry it in larger and softer, so we’re being aggressive into pins across the corners, the place plenty of women are touchdown it shorter and making an attempt to feed it into spots.”
“After which I believe they putt so properly. Their quick video games are actually good. Their speeds are actually good on the greens.”
Justin Rose of England and Charley Hull of England speak on the primary inexperienced through the second spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs)
“When you take the entire spectrum of males who play golf, clearly the elite degree girls hit a a lot related distance to them. However the magnificent management, the consistency of the ball-striking, the quick sport. It’s precisely the identical factor that we’re doing out right here. Are you aware what I imply? … The extent that we’re all taking part in at is equal.
“Clearly the wonderful thing about golf is you’ve simply bought to search out the right tee. That’s what I might say, they set the golf programs up for the LPGA to be proper within the wheelhouse of how the imply common performs by way of distance. I believe there’s plenty of males’s newbie golfers that don’t play the suitable tee field and make the sport very troublesome or unimaginable for themselves.
“However the ability degree (between the excursions) is totally comparable.”
Joel Dahmen of the USA and Lilia Vu of the USA speak on the primary tee through the first spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs)
“I believe the lads attempt to hit too many golf photographs. They attempt to hit fades and attracts. These women hit the identical shot over and again and again. Personal what you do. Lilia (Vu) hits a draw, she hits a draw on each shot. When you play a fade, play a fade. … These women simply make it easy.
“Golf is admittedly laborious, so if you are able to do it again and again. It seems straightforward and it seems boring, however that’s the toughest half, doing it again and again.”
Denny McCarthy of the USA and Megan Khang of the USA bumps fists on the primary inexperienced through the second spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs)
“They’re very good. Megan (Khang), my accomplice, she doesn’t hit it the very best however she’s very artful in how she shapes the ball and will get the ball round to sure pins. She’s excellent at taking part in to the protected facet and dealing it into the difficulty and she or he is aware of how one can do the alternative.
“I really feel like plenty of amateurs lose plenty of strokes across the greens and most of those ladies are very polished across the greens, and that’s the place it can save you plenty of photographs. … I’ve realized so much from Megan during the last two days. I can most likely take a pair items of Megan’s sport.”
Rickie Fowler of the USA and Lexi Thompson of the USA stroll from the third tee through the second spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Photographs)
“I imply, to not choose on the typical male – no, I might say watching the lads play or the fellows which are a number of the longer hitters on PGA Tour, it’s not a spot that individuals can actually anticipate themselves to be at. I imply, it’s sort of loopy speeds.
“I believe the sport that Lexi (Thompson) performs on the market, her being one of many longer of the ladies is one thing that could be a little bit extra attainable for the typical male golfer. And that’s to not knock anybody. Lexi kilos it as everybody is aware of and also you see it on the stats. It’s nonetheless spectacular to look at — I imply, watching Lilia (Vu) stuff it there on the final.
“Yeah, it’s completely different speeds, however you see that in sports activities throughout the board. I believe for the typical or regular golfer that’s one thing that they’ll perhaps try to emulate or play much like.”
Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Jason Day of Australiaduring the primary spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Douglas DeFelice/Getty Photographs)
“I used to be simply truly saying I do know their tempo’s at all times fairly good, however I sit there and I’m sort of envious of how they play their wedge photographs as a result of I’m sitting there spinning these photographs method again. Their spin management and the management basically simply coming into the greens, that’s why they’re so constant in how they hit it as a result of it simply goes one bounce, cease. That’s sort of one thing that I’m at all times sort of capturing in the direction of.
“I used to be asking her earlier this week how she performs her wedges and that’s positively one thing that I’m going to remove and try to work on within the offseason, which is arising. Seeing if that may switch over to my sport as properly, which can assist my wedge sport.”
Corey Conners of Canada and Brooke M. Henderson of Canada stroll from the second tee through the second spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs)
“It’s astonishing. I don’t get to look at them up shut fairly often myself. I knew they have been actually good, however I’ve actually been blown away. The consistency, the best way they deal with themselves and handle their sport is admittedly, actually spectacular. I believe they definitely play inside themselves. They’re actually dedicated to their plan or their shot and positively newbie golfers can study from that.”
“I don’t assume many newbie golfers on this planet can do what they do. It’s been superior to look at and enjoyable to be part of.”
NAPLES, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 09: Nick Taylor of Canada and Ruoning Yin of China through the second spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Membership on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Picture by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Photographs)
“Apart from every thing? Their poise is unbelievable. They hit it so straight and their fingers across the greens – I really feel like I’ve let Ronni (Yin) down the final couple days. (laughs)
“They’re at all times in tempo. Actually keep inside themselves, which anyone can study from, proper? I really feel like every golfer tries to do greater than they’re able to at instances.”
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