Hard to forget: Crowd favourite, Lexi Thompson excellent performance lights up Grant Thornton Invitational still in the heart of many…

A hole-in-one by crowd favourite Lexi Thompson has rocketed her and playing partner Rickie Fowler up the leaderboard of the Grant Thornton Invitational, a unique event that has men and women playing together.
Crowd favourite Lexi Thompson propelled herself and playing partner Rickie Fowler up the leaderboard when she hit a stunning hole-in-one in the second round at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

Thompson hit a seven-iron at the 142m par-3 16th at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, and the ball landed perfectly in the hole on the second bounce.

It’s the 11th hole-in-one of her life, although she said only the fourth in competition with crowds around to see it.

Lexi Thompson high fives playing partner Rickie Fowler after she hit a hole in one at the par-3 16th at the Grant Thornton Invitational.
Lexi Thompson high fives playing partner Rickie Fowler after she hit a hole in one at the par-3 16th at the Grant Thornton Invitational. (FOX Sports)
“I can’t wait to watch the video of it later probably. Definitely a good feeling.

“I mean, hitting a golf shot or making a putt and just committing to it and seeing the shot at hand and really just pulling it off, it’s always a great feeling.”

The Grant Thornton Invitational is a unique mixed-gender teams event co-sanctioned by the LPGA and PGA Tours.

It’s the first event of its kind in over two decades.

The eagle moved the pair from 14-under and three shots off the leading pair of Nelly Korda and Tony Finau, to 16-under and into a tie for second with Lydia Ko and Aussie Jason Day.

The three-day event uses different formats across each day.

The first round was a traditional ambrose, where each player plays a ball and the pair choose the best shot, and both players play another shot from there, and then repeat until the ball is holed.

The final day uses a modified four-ball, where both players will tee off, they will then swap balls, and play those balls until they’re holed. The best score of the two is recorded for the team.

By the time the final groups finished their second round, Thompson and Fowler had slipped to a tie for fourth, four shots behind Ko and Day.