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Patty Tavatanakit, Jake Knapp win PGA-LPGA pairs title

Patty Tavatanakit, Jake Knapp win PGA-LPGA pairs title

GOLF: Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit and American Jake Knapp birdied two of the last three holes on Sunday (Dec 15) to grab a one-stroke victory at the Grant Thornton Invitational, a PGA and LPGA pairs tournament.

Golf
By AFP

Tuesday 17 December 2024 09:25 AM


Jake Knapp (right) and Patty Tavatanakit hold the champions trophy after winning the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (Dec 15). Photo: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / AFP

Jake Knapp (right) and Patty Tavatanakit hold the champions trophy after winning the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (Dec 15). Photo: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / AFP

Patty and Knapp finished the 54-hole tournament on 27-under-par 189 after firing a seven-under 65 in the final round at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, to claim $500,000 (B17 million) each for the triumph.

Birdies at the par-3 16th and par-5 17th combined with three other birdies and an opening eagle in a bogey-free last day lifted Knapp and Patty over runners-up Tom Kim of South Korea and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who birdied 17 and 18 to finish on 190 after a closing 64.

The 16-duo tournament featured a first-round scramble format, an alternate-shot format in round two and a final-round modified four-ball in which golfers play their partner’s tee shot to the conclusion of the hole.

Knapp and Patty combined for a 58 in the opening round and a 66 in round two while Kim and Jeeno opened with a 62 and closed with back-to-back rounds of 64.

Knapp, 30, captured his first PGA Tour title in February at the Mexico Open.

Patty, 25, won her first LPGA title at a major, the 2021 ANA Inspiration and added prior titles in back-to-back weeks this past February at the LPGA Thailand event and the Saudi Ladies International.