Andrew Novak and Lauren Coughlin win Grant Thornton Invitational

It is fair to say that Andrew Novak quite enjoys team golf. Earlier this year, in partnership with his close friend Ben Griffin he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Griffin, of course, went on to win twice more and represented the USA in the Ryder Cup. And he has now signed off 2025 by claiming the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida with Lauren Coughlin.

They led by one shot entering the final round and they closed things out with a brilliant 63 in the modified fourball format for a three-shot victory. They finished the week at 28-under par, setting the all-time Grant Thornton Invitational scoring record. They each win $500,000 as they split the $1m first prize. It is the biggest cash prize of Coughlin’s career.

Jennifer Kupcho and Chris Gotterup, Charley Hull and Michael Brennan and Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy finished in a three-way tie for second on 25-under par.

Novak joked after the tournament that he has now won the grand slam of team titles on the PGA Tour. The victory marks back to back wins in the team events for Novak this year, even though this does not count as an official tournament on the schedule. 

Novak made three straight birdies on the back nine and Coughlin finished off their nine-under 63.

They were challenged primarily by Gotterup and Kupcho until the par-five 17th. Gotterup and Kupcho both missed the green in tough spots and had to work hard for par.

Novak and Coughlin were in the final group behind them, and Novak holed a six-foot birdie putt that gave them a two-shot lead going to the final hole. Coughlin's birdie putt at the 18th helped them set a tournament record at 28 under.

Novak said he did not have a sense of how close it was until seeing a leaderboard on the 13th green, and believed he and Coughlin had the advantage. "We had more holes than anyone else," he said, referring to the number of birdie chances down the stretch. Novak holed a seven-foot birdie putt on the 13th, followed by a pair of 10-foot birdie putts on the 14th and 15th and what effectively was the clincher on the 17th.

In modified fourballs, both players hit tee shots, then play the other's golf ball the rest of the way with the low score counting on the card.

The Grant Thornton Invitational was staged over 54 holes. The first round was scramble, the second round was alternate-shot and the third round was modified fourball.