7 pairings to look out for at the maiden Grant Thornton Invitational tournament

Organizers of the Grant Thornton Invitational announced on Wednesday the final list of teams that will participate in the tournament. There will be 16 mixed duos made up entirely of players who play on the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour.

From the former, it is widely noted that it was possible to include female players of much higher profile than male players. As a result, seven members of the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings will be present. On the men's side, Tony Finau (22nd) is the highest ranked player.

However, the teams that have finally been formed have generated a lot of interest. Some of them have a very high quality of players and in any case a strong tournament can be predicted.

Let's take a look at the best duos among those who will be present at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

7 teams to watch at the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational

The 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational will be played in December at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida. It will be one of the few mixed events on the international professional calendar.

These are seven teams to watch in the event:

#1- Nelly Korda/Tony Finau.

The Korda/Finau team is the obvious choice when it comes to the highest-profile team in the Grant Thornton Invitational field. They are two of the event's ambassadors for a reason.

Nelly Korda has had an outstanding season on the LPGA Tour with seven top-10 finishes. She also won on the Ladies European Tour (LET). Finau, meanwhile, had an equally meritorious season, winning two tournaments and finishing in the top 10 five times on the PGA Tour.

#2- Leona Maguire/Lucas Glover

If we learned anything from the 2023 season, it's that Leona Maguire is one of the most competitive players in world golf. One win and six top-10s on the LPGA Tour prove that the Irishwoman has plenty of talent. She shone at the Solheim Cup.

Lucas Glover, meanwhile, has enjoyed a resurgence in his career, winning two events in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour and finishing strong in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

If both are on top of their game at the Grant Thornton Invitational, there will be plenty to talk about.

#3- Charley Hull/Justin Rose

The same can be said for England's Hull and Rose. The LPGA Tour and LET star has yet to win this year, but has five second place finishes among her six top 10s. She showed her strength in team play at the Solheim Cup.

Rose, meanwhile, won his eleventh PGA Tour title in early 2023 (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and is one of the historic figures in European golf. In the Ryder Cup, he contributed not only with his sporting quality, but also as an experienced leader.

#4- Rose Zhang/Sahith Theegala

Zhang/Theegala is the team that represents the future of world golf at the Grant Thornton Invitational. Zhang has a win on the LPGA Tour and a consistent performance on the tour. Her true potential is yet to be realized.

The opposite is true for Sahith Theegala. The young PGA Tour star is already an established player. He is coming off his first win on the PGA Tour (Fortinet Championship).

#5 - Madelene Sagstrom/Ludvig Aberg

The Grant Thornton Invitational is not a tournament of nations, but Sweden will be well represented. Sagstrom has had an up and down season, dropping a few spots in the Rolex Rankings, but she has also had some good results. Overall, she is a very strong player.

Her combination with Aberg could be explosive. The PGA Tour Rookie of the Year candidate has looked tremendous since turning pro five months ago. His results speak for themselves: just one cut in 12 starts, with one victory and five top 10s (combined PGA Tour and DP World Tour).

#6 - Celine Boutier/Harris English

Wherever she plays, Boutier is a player to be reckoned with. The 2023 season was the best of her career, with everything going her way (including her first Major and the Solheim Cup).

English also had a solid season, finishing with five top 10s and inclusion in the FedEx Cup top 50.

#7- Brooke Henderson/Corey Conners

Canadians, Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners, were very good all year. The LPGA Tour star has one win and two top-10s and is comfortably qualified for the CME Group Tour Championship in a month's time.

Conners, meanwhile, has also found the winner's circle this year and has moved into the FedEx Cup top 30. All the more reason to consider his pairing with Henderson as one of the best odds.

Full list of teams

Below is the complete list of teams competing in the Grant Thornton Invitational. Next to each name is the player's world ranking, men's or women's as the case may be:

Nelly Korda (6)/Tony Finau (22)

Lexi Thompson (26)/Rickie Fowler (24)

Lilia Vu (1)/Joel Dahmen (153)

Brooke Henderson (12)/Corey Conners (33)

Rose Zhang (32)/Sahith Theegala (29)

Charley Hull (8)/Justin Rose (37)

Megan Khang (14)/Denny McCarthy (38)

Lydia Ko (9)/Jason Day (21)

Celine Boutier (5)/Harris English (39)

Andrea Lee (40)/Billy Horschel (52)

Mel Reid (164)/Russell Henley (26)

Cheyenne Knight (51)/Tom Hoge (55)

Madelene Sagstrom (52)/Ludvig Aberg (58)

Allisen Corpuz (10)/Cameron Champ (242)

Ruoning Yin (2)/Nick Taylor (48)

Leona Maguire (17)/Lucas Glover (32)