PGA Tour players dish on what male amateur golfers can learn from LPGA

NAPLES, Fla. – There are new fans out at Tiburon Golf Club for this week’s Grant Thornton Invitational. In fact, tournament officials say ticket sales and concession sales at the same venue as the QBE Shootout have more than doubled since the format changed this year to a mixed-team event.

Hospitality for the 16-team event and Saturday’s concert on the Tiburon driving range sold out.

That was always the hope, of course, that putting the PGA Tour and LPGA together would draw more interest.

For many PGA Tour players, this marks the first time they’ve teed it up in competition with an elite LPGA player, and it’s been an eye-opening experience.

Those who follow the women’s game closely have long said that male amateur players can learn more from watching the LPGA than the PGA Tour because it’s a more relatable game.

Golfweek asked several PGA Tour players in the field what they think male amateur players can learn from the women and aside from “everything,” here’s what they said:

Andrea Lee of the United States and Billy Horschel of the United States react on the 18th green during the first round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas DeFelice/Getty Images)

“When I grew up, one thing my dad said, obviously we watched a lot of the PGA Tour, but we watched a lot of the LPGA because you could relate a lot more based off of swing speeds and the way they play the game …

“Just the way they plot themselves around the golf course. The majority that I’ve played with, they don’t take on any unnecessary risk compared to maybe the guys. When I watch the LPGA, I don’t see them short-side themselves a lot. Now, that’s not always the case on the PGA Tour, like I said we’re a little more aggressive bunch at times. But also that’s because of our ball-flight. We can bring it in higher and softer, so we’re being aggressive into pins around the corners, where a lot of girls are landing it shorter and trying to feed it into spots.”

“And then I think they putt so well. Their short games are really good. Their speeds are really good on the greens.”

Justin Rose of England and Charley Hull of England talk on the first green during the second round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 09, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

“If you take the whole spectrum…