In a stunning display at the Grant Thornton Invitational, Lexi Thompson and Wyndham Clark locked in a share of the lead with Charley Hull and Michael Brennan after shooting a record-breaking 55 on Friday, each carding a 17-under total in the scramble-format rounds. The atmosphere at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, was perfectly set for scoring, and the format rewarded aggressive play.
Brennan, who began the year on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica/TOUR Americas path and earned his spot with a Bank of Utah Championship win on an exemption, stepped in for Daniel Berger. Alongside Hull, Brennan put together an impressive run of 13 consecutive holes with a birdie or eagle, before settling for pars on the 16th and 18th to cap the round.
Hull admitted to some swing changes the previous week that left her feeling unsettled, yet the day’s results proved surprisingly favorable: “It’s funny because I was still adjusting my swing last week. On Tuesday I couldn’t even keep the ball in play, so I was pretty nervous going into today—but it worked out.”
Clark closed with a birdie to join Thompson at the top, and the pair feathered birdie or eagle on nine of the final ten holes, the lone exception coming at the par-3 16th.
Clark offered insight into their rhythm, noting, “We’ve got similar games. She hits it very long off the tee, and when one of us is in play, we’re well ahead of the competition and can leverage that advantage.”
The 55s surpassed the previous scoring record for this mixed-team event by a single stroke. The leaders held a two-shot cushion over Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak, with Rose Zhang and Michael Kim, Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy, and Jennifer Kupcho with Chris Gotterup chasing three behind.
Saturday will feature the Foursomes format—the most demanding test, since teams alternate shots with a single ball in play. Sunday’s final round switches to Modified Fourball.
Defending champions Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit started strong, reaching 7-under through six holes before the back nine cooled, finishing the day at 59 and four shots behind the leaders.
This event continues to showcase high-speed scoring and strategic teamwork, reminding fans that in golf’s mixed formats, adaptation and synergy can rewrite the record books. As the weekend unfolds, questions abound: Will the tighter formats compress the leaderboard further, or will the favorites’ advantage surface again? And for viewers, which pair will capitalize on momentum to clinch the title—and what unconventional strategies might spark the next surprise?</"}
