Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit will take a two-shot lead into Sunday’s finale of the Grant Thornton Invitational. The UCLA alums once again showcased their teamwork and skill in the mixed team event.

Here’s a summary of their performance, thus far:

• First Round: In the scramble format, Knapp and Tavatanakit started on an incredible heater by reeling off nine straight birdies on the front nine, setting a blistering pace. They finished the round with an eagle on the 17th and a final-hole birdie to set the lead mark of 14-under 58 and a one-shot lead.
• Second Round: Moving to the foursomes (alternate shot) format, the duo continued their strong play, carding a 6-under 66 to reach 20-under par. This performance extended their lead to two shots over the field.
• Key Moments:
  Their opening round was highlighted by a perfect front nine, demonstrating their chemistry in choosing the best shots.
  On the second day, Patty Tavatanakit made critical birdie putts, including a significant one on the 16th to maintain momentum, while Jake Knapp’s par saves were vital in keeping them ahead.



• Performance Insights:
  • Jake Knapp, coming off his first PGA Tour win at the Mexico Open, has shown he can perform under pressure. His long drives and strategic shots were crucial in setting up good scoring opportunities.
  • Patty Tavatanakit, known for winning her first major as a rookie at the ANA Inspiration, brought her experience and finesse to the team, particularly in the alternate shot format where precision was key.
• Tournament Context: The Grant Thornton Invitational features 16 two-player teams from the PGA Tour and LPGA, competing in three different formats over three rounds. The third round will be played in a modified four-ball (better ball) format, where both players hit tee shots, and then they choose one ball to play out the hole.
• Current Lead: Heading into the final round, Knapp and Tavatanakit hold a two-shot lead over Tom Kim and Jeeno Thitikul, who sit 18-under.
• Quotes:
  • Jake Knapp: “I think just the fact overall she’s kind of a golf nerd and like she kind of said yesterday, it’s fun to be able to kind of nerd out on certain stuff. Especially since there’s some differences between like the men’s game and women’s game, but at the same time she bombs it compared to people on her tour. It’s kind of fun that we both have similar strategies or similar issues on some courses and stuff like that. I feel like we just see eye to eye on a lot of different things.”
  • Patty Tavatanakit: “Yes, I’m super happy with the result obviously, but like going into today, honestly the past, for the whole week I just don’t know what to expect. Like different formats I haven’t played, like this format in a stroke play thing before. It’s always been like match play, you just kind of go at it more. So it is a different approach, don’t know what to expect. A little nervous because like I want to give my partner the best look as possible. I mean, it’s pretty — it’s pretty nerve wracking, but pressure is privilege, so I owned it.”

Grant Thornton Invitational: Top-5

Leaderboard: Day 2
1. Tavatanakit / Knapp -20 (-6)
2. Thitikul / Kim -18 (-8)
3. Kupcho / Bhatia -17 (-4)
4. Ko / Day -15 (-5)
5. Lee / Greyserman -14 (-6)
5. Boutier / Pavon -14 (-5)
5. Henderson / Conners -14 (-1)

Full leaderboard at PGATour.com