Jason Day will seek to bring his 2024 season to a close with a successful title defence as a host of fellow Aussies look to secure status on a variety of tours for 2025.

Day will team up again with Kiwi Lydia Ko at the Grant Thornton Invitational in Florida, the duo paired with women’s world No.1 Nelly Korda and American Tony Finau for the opening round at the Tiburon Golf Club.

Not only do Day and Ko have positive memories to call upon from their victory of 12 months ago but both had previously won at the venue.

Ko is a two-time winner of the CME Group Tour Championship, an official stop on the LPGA, while Day was on the winning team in the 2014 edition of what was then the QBE Shootout consisting only of PGA TOUR golfers.

The pair are among four teams that have carried over from 2023 with the format remaining the same.

A traditional fourball takes place on day one, day two sees teams play foursomes and then on the final day a modified fourball is played where each player tees off and then plays their partner’s ball for the remainder of the hole.

While it is fun and games in Naples, elsewhere in Florida, Rhein Gibson and Kiwi pair Harry Hillier and Tim Wilkinson are seeking to play their way onto the PGA TOUR in 2025.

After finishing 88th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, Gibson had to come through Second Stage to earn a spot at PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry while Hillier was exempt by virtue of finishing top 10 on the PGA TOUR Americas Fortinet Cup Points List. Wilkinson is exempt by virtue of a medical category.

The top five finishers and ties at Q-School’s Final Stage will earn 2025 PGA TOUR membership while the next 40 finishers and ties will earn guaranteed starts on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour.

In Saudi Arabia, 12 Aussies are among the 93 competitors vying for the single spot on offer at LIV Golf Promotions.

Winners on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season, Jack Buchanan and Phoenix Campbell are among the Aussie contingent that also includes Wade Ormsby, Jed Morgan and Daniel Gale.

Pre-qualifying is currently underway for Final Stage of Ladies European Tour Qualifying School next week in Morocco, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Kristalle Blum and amateurs Abbie Teasdale and Belinda Ji all hoping to join Kelsey Bennett in the final field.

Round 1 tee times AEDT

PGA TOUR PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 1:10am Rhein Gibson 1:10am* Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 2:10am* Harry Hillier (NZ)

2023 champion: Harrison Endycott Past Aussie winners: Harrison Endycott (2023) TV times: Live 5am-9am Sunday; Live 4am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.

Grant Thornton Invitational Tiburón Golf Club, Naples, Florida 2:45am Jason Day/Lydia Ko (NZ)

2023 champions: Jason Day and Lydia Ko (NZ) Past Aussie winners: Jason Day and Lydia Ko (2023) TV times: Live 5am-8am Saturday; Live 6am-9am Sunday; Live 5am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

LIV Golf LIV Golf Promotions Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia Australasians in the field: Maverick Antcliff, Travis Smyth, Jak Carter, Brett Rankin, Jed Morgan, Nick Voke (NZ), Ben Campbell (NZ), Wade Ormsby, Daniel Gale, Jack Buchanan, Phoenix Campbell, Will Bruyerers, Brett Coletta, Matthew Griffin.

2023 champion: Kalle Samooja Past Aussie winners: Nil TV times: Live on 7 Plus