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Cameron Jourdan

LPGA stars Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson headline next month’s QBE Shootout in Florida, field and pairings set

The 2022 QBE Shootout has announced the 12 two-person teams that will compete at this year’s tournament, set for Dec. 7-11 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

For the first time in the QBE’s 34-year history, two LPGA golfers will be competing: Nelly Korda, the world’s No. 1 ranked player will make her QBE debut, and No. 7 ranked Lexi Thompson will return for her seventh tournament.

Here’s a closer look at the 12 teams who will compete for the $3.8 million purse.

Harris English and Matt Kuchar

Harris English prepares to take a putt on the eighteenth hole during the second round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open golf tournament. (Photo: Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports)

English and Kuchar, three-time QBE Shootout winners, will partner for the eighth time. The most successful pairing in tournament history, this team has also recorded two runner-up finishes (2014, 2015). The duo holds the tournament record for the largest margin of victory, nine strokes in 2020.

Max Homa and Kevin Kisner

Max Homa and Kevin Kisner talk on the second green during the first round of the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on December 10, 2021 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Homa and Kisner finished fifth at last year’s Shootout in their first pairing. Kisner will be playing in his sixth QBE and finished fourth in 2016 when partnered with Kevin Chappell. Homa won three times on Tour in the past calendar year, including a successful defense of his 2021 Fortinet Championship this fall. Both were members of this year’s victorious U.S. team in the Presidents Cup, with Homa going 4-0 in his debut.

Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy

Nelly Korda tees off on the ninth hole during the second round of 2022 CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Chris Tilley/Special to the Daily News)

Korda (age 24) and McCarthy (29) will be the youngest team in this year’s field and are both making their Shootout debuts. The last time a rookie team won the QBE Shootout was Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele in 2011. Korda and McCarthy have combined for a dozen top 10 finishes this calendar year, with Korda notching seven and McCarthy five.

Trey Mullinax and Scott Stallings

Trey Mullinax hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open golf tournament. (Photo: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports)

Mullinax will be making his Shootout debut. This will be Stallings’ second appearance and first since 2011. Mullinax won the Barbasol Championship this summer for his first PGA Tour win. Stallings has seven top-10 finishes this past season, including a runner-up in the FedEx Cup playoffs BMW Championship.

Brian Harman and Sepp Straka

Brian Harman plays his shot from the second tee at Sea Island Resort Seaside Course on November 20, 2022 in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Harman, who teamed with Patton Kizzire to win the QBE in 2018, will be making his fifth appearance at Tiburon with his fourth different partner. Straka secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Honda Classic earlier this year. Born in Austria, he played in the 2020 Olympic Games. Both Harman and Straka attended the University of Georgia.

Jason Day and Billy Horschel

Jason Day of Australia takes a tee shot at the first hole during the first round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Day and Horschel will be playing together for the first time. Day, a former World No. 1, paired with Cameron Tringale to win the Shootout in 2014. Horschel has finished among the top-five six times in his nine QBE appearances with eight different partners. Horschel played in his first team event for the U.S. this fall at the Presidents Cup. Day has played on four International Presidents Cup teams.

Steve Stricker and Cameron Young

Steve Stricker celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2022 Constellation Furyk & Friends at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

The 55-year-old Stricker will be playing in his 13th Shootout while the 25-year-old Young, the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, will be playing in Naples for the first time. Stricker won four times on the PGA Tour Champions this year and served as an assistant captain for the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team. Young, finished runner-up three times this year, including at The Open Championship.

Maverick McNealy and Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson putts on the 9th hole during the first round of the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Chris Tilley/Palm Beach Post)

McNealy and Thompson, both age 27, represent another first-time pairing at the Shootout. McNealy, the world’s top amateur in 2017, recorded three top-10 finishes in his last seven starts of the season. Thompson is an 11-time LPGA winner, two-time Olympian, and has played on five United States Solheim Cup teams.

Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegala

Sahith Theegala plays his shot from the second tee at Sea Island Resort Seaside Course on November 20, 2022 in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Hoge and Theegala are both making their Shootout debuts. Hoge had a breakthrough season with a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, one of five top-10 finishes. Theegala, age 24, came close to securing his first victory with a runner-up finish at The Travelers Championship.

Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer

Charley Hoffman hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Hoffman and Palmer have combined to play in nine Shootouts but are teaming up for the first time. Hoffman has finished third on three occasions, most recently with Gary Woodland in 2018. Palmer placed third with Harold Varner III in 2019.

Corey Conners and K.H. Lee

K.H. Lee plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. (Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Conners and Lee were International teammates at the Presidents Cup this fall but were not paired together. Lee was on the winning side of two matches in the team’s defeat to the U.S. Conners racked up five top-10 finishes this season, including third at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship and sixth at the Masters. Lee won the AT&T Byron Nelson for his second Tour win.

Keith Mitchell and J.J. Spaun

J.J. Spaun hits a tee shot at the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. (Photo: David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports)

Both playing in the Shootout for the first time. Spaun won his first PGA TOUR title in the spring at the Valero Texas Open and Mitchell had six top-10 finishes last season.

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