It’s another chance for Novak to win a team title this year. He teamed with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Grant Thornton is the only event with mixed teams.
They were at 19-under 125 and had a one-shot lead over Charley Hull and Michael Brennan, who were about to share the lead until a three-putt bogey on the final hole when Hull lipped from just outside a yard away. They shot 71.
Lexi Thompson and Wyndham Clark were two shots behind after finishing with eight straight pars for a 72.
The final round has been modified with four balls. Each player tees off, then switches golf balls and stays with that ball the rest of the way, with the low score counting.
It should lead to lower scores, although the Canadian duo Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners did their bit in the more difficult foursomes. They scored seven birdies and briefly shared the lead until a bogey on the 18th for a 67.
That left them three shots behind, along with Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy (70) and Jennifer Kupcho and Chris Gotterup (70).
The Kupcho-Gotterup and Coughlin-Novak teams each made a double bogey on the par-5 14th. Coughlin helped her team recover when she holed out of the right bunker on the 17th.
“Four birdies and an eagle, that’s really solid for a varied shot,” Novak said.
He kept it light, as always, especially when asked how much he wanted to win the Grant Thornton Invitational, in addition to his title in the Zurich Classic.
“Some call it the modern Grand Slam – Zurich, Grant Thornton,” Novak said. “Obviously I have to think about my legacy a little bit tomorrow.”
Hull has said she likes to be in the chase position, and this week is no exception.
“Obviously it would have been nice to go into the last lap with the lead,” she said. “But we can make plenty of birdies tomorrow.”
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