As the PGA and LPGA Tours converge in Naples for their unique mixed-team showcase, the buzz is less about who is teeing it up and more about the conspicuous gaps on the roster. While the Grant Thornton Invitational boasts 16 teams, including Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy, Lydia Ko and Jason Day, and defending champions Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp, three of the biggest names are missing from the event.

Launched in 2023, the event features teams playing 18 holes each of Scramble, Foursomes, and Modified Four-Ball. The real story might be in the star power left on the sidelines. This year’s lineup at Tiburón includes golfers with 137 combined wins across the PGA and LPGA, competing head-to-head for an equal $4 million purse split evenly between partners.

Even then, the absence of Rickie Fowler, Daniel Berger, and Akshay Bhatia from the invitational has left the community wondering.

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Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler remains one of the PGA Tour’s most marketable players. He is particularly known for fan-friendly and made-for-TV formats. In fact, golf analysts criticized him for getting too many sponsor invitations.

With six PGA Tour victories in his resume, his absence from a co‑ed team exhibition at Tiburón is conspicuous. In early 2025, Rickie Fowler withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open due to illness and has since produced mixed results. He left this season more about flashes than sustained contention. This can support angles around form, status, or schedule choices versus limited invites.

Fans can also compare him with peers who received spots in Naples, arguing that the event is pivoting towards either younger stars or recent winners in these limited‑field showcases.​

Daniel Berger

Daniel Berger’s absence is striking because he previously played the event. He had partnered with the English LPGA star, Charley Hull. What’s even more interesting is that 2025 has been his first fully relevant season back from a long back‑injury hiatus.

After missing the cut at the 2022 US Open, Berger missed the remaining two months of the regular PGA Tour season. He then joined the Tour for 2024, where he held 27 starts, made it to the runner-up once, and was in the top-10 twice. However, he missed the cut in 11 events and withdrew from one.

This year, he began to regain the form he showed before his 2022 injury. Early in 2025, he finished runner‑up at the WM Phoenix Open with a closing 67, his second runner‑up in five starts, which secured his first signature event berth since surgery. Although he didn’t win any titles in 2025, he missed the cut only in four of the 22 events he played in. Berger is exactly the type of rebounding star the Grant Thornton could have showcased.

Akshay Bhatia

Akshay Bhatia occupies an entirely different category among the absences. He is the fast-rising talent whose game, energy, and personality directly tap the younger audiences.

At 23, with a couple of PGA Tour victories, including the 2024 Valero Texas Open, and a top-30 world ranking, he sits firmly in the group of emerging players shaping the Tour’s next chapter. Akshay Bhatia’s social media presence and expressive on-course style help broaden his reach far beyond traditional viewers.

The 2025 season has continued that momentum. He has posted four top-10 finishes and contended consistently against elite fields. In fact, he was part of the recently concluded Hero World Challenge. The event hosted by Tiger Woods featured elite golfers, including Scottie Scheffler, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose, JJ Spaun, and more. And young Bhatia finished solo 14 with a score of 9 under par there.

A player with that trajectory adds spark to any event, especially a mixed-team format where creativity and shot-making shine. His absence feels like a missed chance to strengthen the connection between the event and younger fans who gravitate toward breakthrough stars.