The QBE Shootout will become a mixed-gender event, creating the first event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour since 1999.
According to the Associated Press, PGA Tour players at the Hero World Challenge were made aware of the change last week in the Bahamas. It's unclear how players will qualify for the event from either the PGA Tour or LPGA Tour.
The QBE Shootout has been played since 1989, and it's been colloquially known as the Shark Shootout. Greg Norman, known as the Great White Shark, had been involved with the event until he became the CEO of LIV Golf. Since the QBE Shootout is sanctioned by the PGA Tour, Norman has been forced out of dealings with the tournament since taking the LIV job.
In recent years, LPGA players, including Lexi Thompson, have been included in the QBE Shootout.
For LPGA players, the potential first-place payout could be huge for their season. This week, the first place team in the QBE Shootout will split $950,000 from a $3.8 million purse. The five LPGA majors, the CME Group Tour Championship and the Cognizant Founders Cup are the only LPGA events this season that offered a higher first-place prize than the $425,000 share paid this week.
The last event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour was the JC Penney Classic, which featured a similar format to the QBE Shootout with team games each day. Tiger Woods played in the JC Penney Classic in 1996 with Kelli Kuehne, as both players were Nike athletes and the reigning US Amateur champions. John Daly and Laura Davies won the final JC Penney Classic in 1999.
