The PGA Tour gets all modern this week when the Zurich Classic of New Orleans takes place in Louisiana. This tournament changed for the better when it became a pair’s event last year and now we have walk on music as golf looks to come into the 21st century.
Two rounds of fourballs and two more of foursomes makes up the tournament and with 80 pairs including some big names we are all set for an excellent week of golf. Cameron Smith partnered Jonas Blixt to victory last year and they return to defend their title.
Recent Winners
2017 – Cameron Smith & Jonas Blixt
2016 – Brian Stuard
2015 – Justin Rose
2014 – Seung-yul Noh
2013 – Billy Horschel
2012 – Jason Dufner
2011 – Bubba Watson
2010 – Jason Bohn
2009 – Jerry Kelly
2008 – Andres Romero
The Course
We head back to TPC Louisiana this week where the course has not changed. It is a par 72 which stretches as far as 7,425 yards. Although this is a different format to a normal strokeplay event the characteristics remain the same where in there is no real test off the tee. The course comes alive into undulating greens where pinpoint iron play is a necessity.
This is team golf this week though so as well as playing the course for two of the rounds at least there needs to be a fair bit of strategy involved too especially in the first and third rounds which are the fourballs rounds unlike last year when they were the second and fourth rounds. In those fourballs rounds low scores will be the order of the day so I’m looking at good putters this week.
The Field
This might be a little different this week but the players have responded accordingly. Stellar names like Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia are all in the field while the likes of Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar are all here too.
Plenty of other European names are in the field this week too. Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Paisley make up one pair while Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell also team up. Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington are another twosome teaming up.
Market Leaders
Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose have a good record when paired together in the Ryder Cup and they are the 9/1 favourites to win this week. Rose is a former champion around here while Stenson should be well suited to the course too. The two missed the cut last year though and with big events around the corner I wonder if they will be all that up for it. If they are they should be in the mix.
Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley pair up for the second year in a row. They finished in a tie for fifth here last year and both men have kicked on since then. Thomas is one of the most complete players in the world now while Cauley is solid enough too. They are 11/1 to push on further this year which seems like a fair price.
Masters champion Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay are the third favourites this week at 12/1. These two are two of the better players on the PGA Tour but we’ve seen players go quiet when they win their first major before and that has to be a concern when getting involved with Reed over the next week or so. If they blend well though they certainly have the games to do damage.
Two interesting pairings are Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar and the Texan pairs of Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer and they are both 14/1 to win the tournament. Watson is a former winner around here and they look brilliantly matched for foursomes but this will be the first time they’ve paired up which is a worry. Spieth and Palmer were fourth here last year but neither look in the form they were 12 months ago. It is 22/1 bar those named.
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Main Bets
I’m going with two main bets this week. I think this is a course that Jon Rahm could tear up and his partner Wesley Bryan has the tools to compliment him nicely. Rahm is a birdie machine and with no real test off the tee here there is no reason why Bryan can’t score well too. Both these men belt it a mile so they should be attacking the flags all week and at 22/1 they look good value.
Last week both Sean O’Hair and Jimmy Walker went well so they should be a good pairing. Both hit a lot of greens in regulation and when they are on song both are decent putters too and I don’t think that will be a bad combination. O’Hair partnered Stricker to a win in the Franklin Templeton just prior to Christmas so he knows what it takes to go well in these two man events which could be key. Walker is very much on the upturn after his illness issues so he’ll be bang up for a big week here. At 25/1 these two could go well.
Outsiders
There are a couple of pairs that contain straight hitters and good putters who are three figure prices or close to it and I think both are worth taking this week. Sam Burns has already made a decent impression on the PGA Tour and his partner, William McGirt, is a very solid player who should really come to the fore in the foursomes rounds. McGirt should also keep his ball in play in fourballs to allow Burns to go onto the attack so I like the way they pair up.
Scott Stallings is no stranger to making birdies and with the putting ability of Aaron Baddeley the scoring should keep rotating between this pair too. They might lack a little bit of solidness in the foursome rounds but their putting can get them out of trouble when they get into it and take advantage of the holes they play well. In profile at least, this duo are very similar to the pair which won last year and at a three figure price I’ll pay to see how well they go.
Tips
Back J.Rahm & W.Bryan to win Zurich Classic of New Orleans (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
Back J.Walker & S.O’Hair to win Zurich Classic of New Orleans (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Ladbrokes (1/4 1-5)
Back them here:
Back S.Stallings & A.Baddeley to win Zurich Classic of New Orleans (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with William Hill
Back them here:
Back S.Burns & W.McGirt to win Zurich Classic of New Orleans (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 91.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-5)
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