It’s the final day of the 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational. The battle is getting intense as Charley Hull & Michael Brennan are going up against Lauren Coughlin & Andrew Novak. Jennifer Kupcho & Chris Gotterup and Nelly Korda & Denny McCarthy are also pushing themselves into the mix. However, all of them are playing a unique format in the final round: modified four-ball. Want to know how it works? Then let’s find out!

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What does Modified Four Ball mean in golf?

Traditionally, a four-ball match means every pro plays with their own ball and tries to reach the cup first. Whoever sinks the ball first gets a point for their team. However, in a modified four-ball format, the pros will tee off with one ball, and they switch their balls for the second shot, as per the PGA Tour website.

So if Charley Hull hits a 270-yard drive from the tee on the fairway, then it will be Michael Brennan who will be hitting the second shot from where her ball landed. There won’t be any more changes as he will finish the hole with Hull’s ball.

But the scoring rule is still the same for both formats. In the normal four-ball format, the lowest score of the player of each team is considered the final score. So if Hull scored a double bogey and Brennan scored a par, then the PGA Tour pro’s par would be considered. The same rule is applied in the modified four-ball format as well.

Interestingly, this is not the first time the modified four-ball format has been used in the Grant Thornton Invitational. It was first introduced at the event back in 2023, when the tournament was first played. It has been the norm ever since, and the pros have adapted to using it over the last few years.

That being said, how do the golfers strategize around playing the modified four-ball format? Let’s try to understand that.

What are the strategies to win in Modified Four Ball?

Playing to your strengths will be the biggest tip you can get when approaching a round of modified four-ball. Planning for every hole in advance to understand how your team will progress throughout the day is vital, especially if you have a pairing that includes a strong driver of the ball from the PGA Tour and a masterful short-game player from the LPGA Tour.

A good example of this would be Jason Day & Lydia Ko. Day is known to be an excellent player off the tee. Ko is great with the irons and wedges. So when they are approaching long par-4s and par-5s, it would be better for them to focus on Day’s drive and take it from there. But Ko can take the lead on par-3s.

Each pair can plan their round accordingly to ensure they can make the most out of their abilities. That will give them the best shot at winning the 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational and grabbing the $1 million paycheck.