(Reuters) – Players from the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour will compete for a $4 million purse during a new mixed-team event this December in Naples, Florida, the two circuits announced on Wednesday.
The Dec. 8-10 tournament at Tiburon Golf Club will feature a 32-player field split evenly between professionals from both tours and with additional format details in development.
The co-sanctioned event, for which accountancy firm Grant Thornton will serve as the title sponsor, will also be televised on NBC and Golf Channel.
“As we look to capitalize on the growing interest in the game of golf, the addition of a mixed event to the calendar has been a priority,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a joint news release.
The last time the two tours held an annual mixed-team competition was in 1999, when John Daly and Laura Davies won the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.
“By joining forces with the PGA Tour to host a mixed event where the top male and female golfers in the world compete alongside each other, we’re going to deliver a memorable and entertaining experience for all golf fans, showcasing our players’ incredible skills in a new context to a new audience,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan.
“This is an important step forward for golf, women’s golf and the LPGA.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
