After a record-setting opening round, Saturday’s Round 2 at the Grant Thornton Invitational delivered a very different challenge. The tournament shifted to foursomes (alternate shot) at Tiburón Golf Club, forcing teams to trade aggression for precision and putting a premium on communication and course management.
The change in format did exactly what it was designed to do. Scoring slowed across the board, mistakes were magnified, and the leaderboard began to tighten as teams navigated the pressure of sharing a single ball. What looked like a potential shootout after Friday’s scramble quickly turned into a test of patience and trust between partners.
Foursomes Format Brings Pressure and Separation
Unlike the scramble format that opened the week, alternate shot leaves no margin for error. One loose drive or missed approach impacts not just the individual, but the team as a whole. That dynamic was on full display Saturday as several pairings struggled to maintain the momentum they built in Round 1.
Players repeatedly emphasized the importance of strategy over power, often opting for conservative tee shots and safe targets rather than attacking pins. Communication between partners became as critical as execution, with teams carefully deciding who would tee off on specific holes and how aggressive to be with approach shots.
Tee times consisted of the following:
11:00 a.m. – Lottie Woad / Luke Clanton, Megan Khang / Keith Mitchell
11:12 a.m. – Maja Stark / Neal Shipley, Jessica Korda / Bud Cauley
11:24 a.m. – Brooke Henderson / Corey Conners, Lilia Vu / Tony Finau
11:36 a.m. – Lydia Ko / Jason Day, Andrea Lee / Billy Horschel
11:48 a.m. – Patty Tavatanakit / Jake Knapp, Angel Yin / Tom Hoge
12:00 p.m. – Jennifer Kupcho / Chris Gotterup, Nelly Korda / Denny McCarthy
12:12 p.m. – Lauren Coughlin / Andrew Novak, Rose Zhang / Michael Kim
12:24 p.m. – Charley Hull / Michael Brennan, Lexi Thompson / Wyndham Clark
Coughlin and Novak Take Control in Foursomes
Coughlin and Novak delivered a steady and composed performance in Saturday’s alternate-shot round, posting a 4-under 68 to move into the lead heading into Sunday. In a format that punishes mistakes, the duo leaned on consistency, particularly their ball-striking, to separate themselves from much of the field.
“We hit a lot of greens,” Coughlin said. “I don’t think we really had to chip today, which is always nice in alternate shot. You have it pretty stress free, just hit some putts and try to make birdies.” The approach paid off early, as the team opened with a front nine that featured one birdie and eight pars, keeping stress to a minimum while others struggled to adjust.
The back nine brought more volatility, including back-to-back birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 followed by a double bogey at the 14th. But Coughlin quickly erased that setback by holing out from a green-side bunker for eagle on the par-5 17th, a pivotal moment that pushed the team to 19 under and into the solo lead late Saturday afternoon.
Henderson, Conners Post Low Round as Field Tightens
While Coughlin and Novak grabbed the lead, Henderson and Conners turned in the best score of the day, firing a 5-under 67 in the difficult foursomes format. The all-Canadian pairing made seven birdies and climbed the leaderboard thanks to strong iron play and timely putting.
“We just have a really nice energy between us, I think, and amongst our caddies as well,” Henderson said. “Makes a great team. Corey was hitting it really close for me today so I was able to roll in some putts, which was really nice. I feel like once we made a couple birdies, then we really had a lot of momentum.”
As the tournament shifts to Sunday’s modified four-ball format, the leaderboard remains compressed, with multiple teams still within striking distance of the lead. Coughlin and Novak now sit in prime position to chase the $1 million winner’s prize, while teams like Henderson and Conners have set themselves up for a late push in the final round.
Sunday Tee Times
According to Golf.com, here are the official tee times for Round 3 of the Grant Thornton Invitational:
8:45 a.m. – Lee / Horschel; Korda / Cauley
9:00 a.m. – Tavatanakit / Knapp; Stark / Shipley
9:15 a.m. – Khang / Mitchell; Vu / Finau
9:30 a.m. – Woad / Clanton; Ko / Day
9:45 a.m. – Zhang / Kim; Yin / Hoge
10:00 a.m. – Kupcho / Gotterup; Korda / McCarthy
10:15 a.m. – Thompson / Clark; Henderson / Conners
10:30 a.m. – Coughlin / Novak; Hull / Brennan
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Grant Thornton Invitational Round 2: Alternate Shot Reshapes Leaderboard appeared first on Heavy Sports.