Jason Day wants to follow Grant Thornton partner Lydia Ko with a Hall of Fame-worthy career

NAPLES, Fla. – Jessica Korda deemed Lydia Ko and Jason Day the “nicest” team when the two strangers partnered last year for the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. After winning the event’s first edition and becoming fast friends, Ko and Day spent most of their pre-tournament press conference on Thursday gushing about each other. When Ko, who was in a slump prior to last year’s Grant Thornton victory, promptly won the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions the following month, Day sent a congratulatory text. Ko gave him the credit.

“I said it’s honestly thanks to you because I learned a lot,” said Ko. “When you’re around a person that is so competitive and at the same time just so genuine but an elite class of player, it’s different. I felt like just his whole game and just him like was so different that it honestly was very inspiring and motivating.” Back on the dais together at Tiburon, it was Day who said he wanted to be like Ko – particularly when it came to the Hall of Fame. After that victory at the TOC, Ko needed only one more point to enter the LPGA Hall of Fame, and the 27-year-old secured it by winning gold at the Paris Olympics. Day followed the action closely in 2024, sending notes along the way.

“Obviously it’s amazing to be a fan of her and watch that unfold,” said Day. “I’m hoping that I can someday do the same, that’s my goal, is to get into the Hall of Fame. I’m sitting next to one, so it’s extra – it’s motivating for me to kind of sit here and watch her do it.” Ko and Day won by one stroke last year over Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners. The 16 teams in the field this week will vie for $4 million total ($2 million each), with a total winner’s check of $1 million ($500,000 each).

World No. 1 Nelly Korda had to find a last-minute replacement after Tony Finau withdrew due to injury. She met Daniel Berger for the first time on Thursday morning. “Super grateful that he subbed in last minute and I’m ready to have a good week with him,” said Korda. “I know he played in the event beforehand, the Shark Shootout, a couple of times so he’s familiar with the golf course.”

Jeeno Thitikul, 21, who took home the biggest paycheck in the history of women’s golf last month at the CME ($4 million), is back at Tiburon and will compete alongside Tom Kim, 22, as the field’s youngest duo. Ko’s 22 LPGA titles make her the winningest active player on tour, and she collected her third major title soon after the gold medal at the AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.

Day saw that one, too.
“Talking about Lydia, who I believe you won two professional events as an amateur, correct?” he asked, looking over at a shy Ko. “And I think she was like 13th something in the world at 15, 16, something like that? I’m not stalking her too much. Her furniture from the front lawn looks great, though.”

While Ko has said from the start that she wouldn’t likely play past the age of 30 on the LPGA, Day knows he has plenty of years left on the PGA Tour to stake his claim for the World Golf Hall of Fame. The 37-year-old Aussie owns 13 PGA Tour titles, including the 2015 PGA Championship,

“I’m trying to push as hard as I can,” said the father of five, “just because I know she’s worked so very hard for this moment.”