This Sunday, in the final round at the Tiburon Golf Club, Andrew Novak is looking to etch his name in the history books. Andy is gunning for a unique double, which is dubbed the ‘Modern-day Grand Slam.’

Currently, Novak and Lauren Coughlin are the scoreboard leaders. They are a stroke ahead of Charley Hull and Michael Brennan. Speaking at the post-R2 presser, Andrew Novak answered questions about his hunger to win.

“Yeah, I want to win,” he says, nodding. “Some are calling it the modern-day Grand Slam. Zurich, Grant Thornton. Obviously thinking about my legacy a bit tomorrow.”

For Novak winning this event is essential. It’s a rare double in sight. If he wins on Sunday, he will have captured the two most significant team titles in the modern era. All in the same calendar year. It’s a Shakespearean spin to the victory.

The Zurich Classic that he won in April was poetic in its own way. The breakthrough came after three years of near misses for the American, which included a painful loss to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage just a week ago. But as he paired up with Ben Griffin on the TPC Louisiana, the drought ended.

Novak and Griffin won the tournament by delivering a 28-under-par score, as they defeated the Hojgaard brothers. With 400 FedEx Cup points each and No. 6 in the standings, Novak took home his first PGA Tour victory. Now, 8 months later, he is standing on a similar edge. This time, with a different partner, a different format, and much more tension.

Novak and Coughlin’s second round had a bumpy ride. There were “oohs” and “aahs” as recognized by the two. For Coughlin, the hybrid shot into the water on par-5 14th was a costly mistake that gave the two a double bogey. “Worst for me,” she says.

She eventually steadied herself and shot a birdie on the 17th hole from the bunker. This became the defining swing of the round. The result was a two-shot gain at a juncture where most golfers stumble. As the commentators remarked, Coughlin had “redeemed herself.”

“Yeah, that was my best moment. Nothing I did,” says Andrew Novak, smiling while expressing relief in putting the putters away.

It’s not that he didn’t do anything exactly. But his day was certainly quieter than that of Lauren Coughlin. He did roll in a few putts, but most of them burned the edge. “He hit a lot of good putts that honestly just didn’t go in today,” Coughlin notes. Together, the duo made four birdies and one eagle, and are currently sitting at 19 under par.

Sunday’s final round will now shift to a modified four-ball format. Behind them are Hull and Brennan, as well as Lexi Thompson and Wyndham Clark. The stakes are high with prominent players scrambling on the field, a chance not many get.

Top Stories

Brooks Koepka Takes up New Role Amid LIV Golf Exit Rumors Reaching Boiling Point

Charley Hull Opens Up on Traumatic Divorce from Ex-Husband for the First Time Ever

LIV Golf to Cut Ties With Veteran Pro After His PGA Tour Return Intentions Became Public

What Happened to Golf Creator Brad Dalke’s Wife? Health Update Revealed

Congratulations Flood in from Lydia Ko & More as LPGA Star Makes Personal Announcement

Everyone wants a seat at the Grant Thornton

The Grant Thornton Invitational only features 16 teams. There’s no traditional pathway for qualifying, and one has to wait for an invitation from the officials if they want to compete. There are hundreds of golfers on both the PGA and LPGA sides, and only 32 golfers on the Tiburon Club course highlights a significant selectivity.

“It’s a super fun event…everybody who gets asked as long as they can, they come,” remarks Lauren Coughlin.

The highest-ranked players from the prior season’s rankings across the Tour are the real backbone of the field. They automatically earn a spot. But there are chances that some top-ranked players decline the invitation for various reasons. That’s where agents and their “lobbying” come in.

When doubts loom over a golfer’s contention, the agents of other non-selected golfers will go around attempting to get their clients a spot. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee a selection, but it does open a window, or rather a grey zone.

Yet, the chances are taken, as less than 8% of LPGA players and less than 4% of PGA Players get invited to the Grant Thornton Invitational.