$40m-worth pro gets candid about his and teammate Lexi Thompson’s game at the Grant Thornton Invitational

The latest edition of the Grant Thornton Invitational ended with Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit taking the win. The American - Thai golfer partnership beat a packed field with PGA Tour and LPGA stars to emerge victorious at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. The field also had Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson teeing up.

Following the contest in Naples, Fowler has come out to deliver an honest review of his team’s game. Speaking on the latest Smylie Show episode, the PGA Tour star called the competition a ‘grind’ and said it ‘wasn’t easy.’ He admitted that neither him nor his LPGA counterpart had their ‘A-game’ but claimed to have had a ‘good time.’

The 36-year-old golfer, worth $40 million according to Celebrity Net worth, lauded the mixed-event’s format and dubbed it ‘fun’ to ‘battle it out together.’

Speaking about his Grant Thornton Invitational experience, Rickie Fowler told Smylie Kaufman:

“It was fun. It’s a grind, though, especially when you get out there in an alternate shot. There were some teams out there who played some pretty good golf because it was windy and gusty; it wasn’t easy.

"Both of us weren’t on top of our A game, but we had a good time. It was more looking at it, we were trying to play well, but it was just fun because it’s such a different event… We don’t get to play the format very often or tee it up with the women. It’s just fun. It’s fun to watch them play and battle it out together.”

Rickie Fowler’s comments come after his team finished near the bottom of the Grant Thornton Invitational leaderboard in Naples. The duo finished at 13 under, after rounds of 63, 73, and 67. Interestingly, Thompson’s team finished just one place off of World No.1 Nelly Korda and Daniel Berger’s pairing.

---

Rickie Fowler celebrates birthday with Lexi Thompson at Grant Thornton

Rickie Fowler had his 36th birthday falling during the Grant Thornton Invitational and Lexi Thompson presented him with a small cake. The LPGA star took the orange cake, in respect of the golfer’s iconic color choice, to the first tee on Friday. Interestingly, the winds blew out the candles before Fowler, as the crowd at the Grant Thornton Invitational sang birthday wishes.

Fowler seemed to enjoy the celebrations. Following his opening round, the ace golfer talked to Mike Wilbon and said that he wanted more mixed-gender events like the Grant Thornton Invitational. Referring to the excitement and camaraderie of the one-of-a-kind contest, the PGA Tour pro said it would be “fun to see if there is more of it.”

Notably, the birthday boy also couldn’t help but feel grateful for the special experience provided by his teammate. He applauded the LPGA star’s performance by stating that he felt like she ‘carried’ the team in the first round. It is pertinent to note that Fowler and Thompson were among the only three teams returning from last year's inaugural mixed-team event at Tiburon Golf Club.