Over the span of his career, Tiger Woods has donned many hats, and one of them is being a golf course architect. Putting the artistic talent within him to use, the legendary golfer has designed many courses. The El Cardonal at Diamante in Mexico is one such golfing venue, where the World Wide Technology Championship was held in the first week of November 2023.

Now, taking a page from Woods’ book, his best pal Justin Thomas, too, has embarked upon the journey of being a golf architect. Interestingly, the course that he has designed will see Lexi Thompson and Rickie Fowler at the inaugural event.

First official tournament on Justin Thomas-designed course

Collaborating with golf veteran Jack Nicklaus, Justin Thomas has designed the Panther National, a new private club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The course will officially open this weekend. The first event that will be hosted there is the inaugural season of the Grant Thornton Invitational, to be held in December 2023.

The Grant Thornton is replacing the QBE Shootout and is a mixed-team event. The tournament will consist of three formats – scramble, foursome, and modified four-ball. It will be a part of the Challenge Season. Golfer Jessica Korda, who along with Rickie is the brand ambassador of the Grant Thornton, was supposed to play with him at the tournament. But she stepped back due to her pregnancy and Lexi Thompson took charge.

Besides them, three other teams have also been finalized. These include the following pairings – Rose Zhang and Sahith Theegala, Nelly Korda and Tony Finau, and Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners. The event comprises of 16 LPGA and 16 PGA Tour players. It’s a co-sanctioned tournament and the prize purse is $4 million.

For its first event, the Panther National course will witness a historic tournament in golf, where women and men golfers will be granted equal opportunity.

Also Read – ‘This Is Gonna Be So Embarrassing’: Justin Thomas Suffers Another Brutal Hit After Partner Carlos Sainz’s Heroics

Learn more about Panther National Course

The Panther National is the first attempt of Justin Thomas as an architect in the golf industry. The new golf course is spread across 400 acres and is surrounded by a 2,400-acre conservation area. According to GolfWeek, the course features deep bunkers, double fairways, and expansive sandy waste areas. It also has a 9-hole, par-3 practice course available for all. Moreover, it features state-of-the-art training facilities. It also has a course specially designed for putting, called The Cub.

Speaking about his vision for the course, Nicklaus said, “Every opportunity to design a golf course brings challenges, but in the case of Panther National, uniqueness triumphs. You won’t find any golf course remotely close to it in South Florida.” The games officially begin next month here.

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