After playing as individuals all season the field has to abruptly change course, no pun intended, this week for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the only full-field team event on the PGA Tour. The field of 80 two-man teams will play a best ball format in rounds one and three and alternate shot format in rounds two and four at TPC Louisiana, located just outside of New Orleans. The top 33 teams and ties will advance to the weekend, making this one of the most difficult cuts to make. The event itself has been around since 1938 but changed to a team format for the 2017 edition. The duo of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele opened as the favorite having enjoyed success the previous two years. They won the title in 2022 and placed fourth last year. Several pairings are reunited for this edition, including last year’s champs Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, who are positioned further down the odds board. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Zurich Classic of New Orleans Betting Odds
Patrick Cantlay/ Xander Schauffele +400
Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry +800
Will Zalatoris/Sahith Theegala +900
Collin Morikawa/Kurt Kitayama +1600
Rasmus Hojgaard/Nicolai Hojgaard +1800
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2200
Taylor Pendrith/Corey Conners +2500
Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick +2800
Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin +3200
Sepp Straka/Brice Garnett +3500
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +3800
Thomas Detry/Robert MacIntyre +4000
Doug Ghim/Chan Kim +4500
Billy Horschel/Tyson Alexander +4500
Beau Hossler/Sam Ryder +4500
Austin Eckroat/Chris Gotterup +5000
Taylor Montgomery/Ben Griffin +5000
Garrick Higgo/Ryan Fox +5500
Aaron Rai/David Lipsky +5500
Davis Thompson/Andrew Novak +5500
Daniel Berger/Victor Perez +6000
Thorbjorn Olesen/Matt Wallace +6000
Andrew Putnam/Joe Highsmith +6000
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500
Kevin Yu/C.T. Pan +6600
K. H. Lee/Michael Kim +7000
Luke List/Henrik Norlander +7000
Davis Riley/Nick Hardy +7000
Gary Woodland/Lee Hodges +7000
Odds Analysis
Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele +400
I don’t typically bet the favorites and rarely at this price. However, it’s hard to pass on two of the best players in the field. Neither has won an individual title this season but they’ve been close on several occasions. Despite that the two have paired in several team events including Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups with some success. And they’ve been good in this event winning in 2022 and placing among the top 5 last year.
Rory McIlroy / Shane Lowry +800
He’s had trouble winning on his own this season so McIlroy is teaming with fellow countryman Lowry to take a shot in his tournament debut. I think Rory is looking for a confidence boost after finishing outside the top 20 at the Masters and RBC Heritage. With a more subdued atmosphere and playing alongside his good friend and Ryder Cup teammate, this team has the makings of a winner.
Will Zalatoris / Sahith Theegala +900
Two of the brightest young talents on Tour teaming up make for an intriguing wager. Zalatoris finished fourth at this event with Nick Hardy in 2022 before injuries took away a good chunk of last season. He’s made an impressive return with three top 10s in his last six starts. And Theegala is on the verge of winning an individual title but might have to settle for a team crown first. He was runner-up last week three shots behind Scottie Scheffler.
Billy Horschel / Tyson Alexander +4500
Horschel has been a machine in this event winning as an individual in 2013 and in 2018 with Scott Piercy. He and Sam Burns were runner-up in 2022, but Horschel has a new partner with Burns expecting the birth of a child. Horschel is coming off a win last week in the Dominican Republic and could carry the team, though fellow Florida alum Alexander is no slouch.
Nick Taylor / Adam Hadwin +3200
The Canadian duo makes a strong team could easily be paired when the Presidents Cup heads north of the border later this year. Their first twirl together wasn’t bad with a runner-up showing here last year. Their combined score of 28-under was better than each of the first four winners of this event. For Taylor last year’s result was his second top-10 in four starts while Hadwin earned his first. With the chemistry the two displayed there is plenty more out there.
Course: TPC Louisiana – 7,425 yards, Par 72
Located just 15 minutes outside of downtown New Orleans, TPC Louisiana has hosted this event since 2005. The overall layout is relatively easy for the pros with a high percentage of fairways and higher percentage of greens hit in regulation. Making things tough are more than 100 bunkers and several water hazards that were installed when the course became the permanent home for this event in 2007. Given the conditions in the south and the vast amount of water, golfers who performed well during the Florida swing of the PGA Tour should feel comfortable here. Weather has been a factor in the past with plenty of delays and showers. We are hoping for better conditions, but this is an area where things change unexpectedly so golfers better be ready.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, CBS
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