The only full-field team event on the PGA Tour takes place this week with the playing of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 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 all season. While the event has been around since 1938, this will be just the fifth playing in a team format. Australians Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith are back to defend the title they won in a playoff last year and sit behind only Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa on the PGA betting board. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Viktor Hovland/Collin Morikawa +700
Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele +800
Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith +800
Ryan Palmer/Scottie Scheffler +1100
Sam Burns/Billy Horschel +1400
Tommy Fleetwood/Sergio Garcia +1600
Shane Lowry/Ian Poulter +2000
Joaquin Niemann/Mito Pereira +2200
Harold Varner III/Bubba Watson +2200
Talor Gooch/Max Homa +2500
Davis Riley/Will Zalatoris +2800
Keegan Bradley/Brendan Steele +3300
Tyrrell Hatton/Danny Willett +3300
Byeong An/Sungjae Im +3500
Chris Kirk/Brendon Todd +4000
Patton Kizzire/J.T. Poston +4500
Graeme McDowell/Seamus Power +4500
Greyson Sigg/Sepp Straka +4500
Adam Hadwin/Adam Svensson +5000
Martin Laird/Robert MacIntyre +5500
Keith Mitchell/Brandt Snedeker +5500
Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson +6000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout/Charl Schwartzel +6600
Doug Ghim/Matthias Schwab +6600
Jason Day/Jason Scrivener +7000
Troy Merritt/Robert Streb +7000
Wyndham Clark/Cameron Tringale +7500
Scott Brown/Kevin Kisner +8000
Alex Noren/Henrik Norlander +8000
Joseph Bramlett/Maverick McNealy +9000
Lucas Glover/Chez Reavie +9000
Brenden Grace/Garrick Higgo +9000
Russell Knox/Brian Stuard +9000
Odds Analysis
Viktor Hovland/Collin Morikawa +700
I don’t always back the favorite but it’s hard not to at least take a look at this pair. Two of the brightest young players on Tour teaming up sure has a nice ring to it and I’ll play the short odds. With Morikawa ranked No. 2 in the world and Hovland No. 5, they have the lowest combined OWGR total. That doesn’t always work in the team format, but both players have been strong since turning pro just a few years ago and this could be a deadly tandem, and it’s one I’m willing to back.
Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith +800
I don’t think I’ve ever backed the top two favorites in a tournament, but this is a different animal. The team concept is so different from what the players are accustomed to and having some familiarity with your partner helps. These guys are that and more. They won last year complementing each other’s game. Smith is strong on and around the greens while Leishman is deadly on approach. Smith has a couple of wins already this season and has taken a liking to the layout winning with a different partner in 2017.
Ryan Palmer/Scottie Scheffler +1100
How can you not back the hottest player in the game right now? Scheffler pegs it up for the first time since winning the Masters, his fourth Tour title in six starts, and could probably carry the team on his own. He just needs Palmer to not screw things up too badly. But maybe Palmer is the good luck charm. He teamed with Jon Rahm in 2019 to capture the title at this event and did more than his part in the victory.
Talor Gooch/Max Homa +2500
Another duo teaming up again has its sight set on bigger things. As mentioned with Leishman and Smith, having a partner you know and trust makes a big difference in the team concept. Gooch and Homa placed a respectable T17 in this event last year and you could say their games have improved since then. Homa has a win this season in Napa while Gooch has four top-10s and has been deadly with the flat stick, which will benefit the team this week.
Davis Riley/Will Zalatoris +2800
There are some unique pairings in this event that make it so much fun. You have countrymen pegging it up, good friends and even former college teammates. But this team takes it a little further. Riley and Zalatoris played junior golf together and were even roommates at one time. Again that means little when they hit the course, but it could be the slightest edge that gives them an advantage. And little bit helps when betting the outright market.
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. Tee to green the layout is relatively easy for the pros with over 60 percent of fairways and nearly 70 percent of greens hit in regulation. To make things more difficult, over 100 bunkers and several water hazards were installed when the course became the permanent home of the Zurich Classic 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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