Weekly Preview: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

TPC Louisiana
Avondale, LA

The PGA Tour heads to Louisiana for the first and only team event of the season.

This is really a tough spot for this tournament. Not only did we have a major two weeks ago, it was followed by a designated event, one which had a couple top-tier names going one-on-one in a playoff. It's going to be tough to match that intensity, and unfortunately, even the team format likely won't be enough. The Zurich Classic, in an effort to break from the pack, switched to this setup a number of years ago. While it seemed to gain more attention initially, the excitement has faded over the years. They gave it a good try, but this format just hasn't caught on.

Normally this is where we blame a weak field for a struggling event, but that hasn't been the case here, as plenty of big names have participated. Don't get me wrong -- when I state that this event is "struggling," I simply mean it hasn't captured the attention of new fans or even most of the fans that tune into a major or another notable event. I don't see a reason for changing the format at this time, as at least the Zurich Classic can say it's unique in a sea of non-elevated events and there's no upside in being like everyone else. As far as the spot of the schedule, that's just a tough break that they can't do anything about. Hopefully they'll continue to get a handful of stars every year. 

Okay, enough of the negativity, let's look at the bright side. We've got some teams to hone in on and a concept we haven't seen all year. There is a ton of course history in play, so we have a good feel for who will play well.

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 6:30 PM ET Tuesday.

LAST YEAR

Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay shot a final-round 74 on their way to victory over the runner-up duo of Billy Horschel and Sam Burns.

FAVORITES

Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele (29-10)

Before last year's edition of the Zurich Classic, the power teams hadn't fared all that well, but that changed when these two won. There are other teams on hand with a lot of talent, but this one has the distinct edge, not only because it has two big-time talents but also because it has proven it can deliver. With that said, the odds are definitely a problem and there's no way I'm placing a win bet at a price like this.

Collin Morikawa / Max Homa (15-2)

Here is one of the other teams that is not short on talent. In fact, it could be argued that this squad has just as much talent as the defending champions. The problem is, neither of these players has had much success in this event. Perhaps playing together will change that, but at their current price there's not enough value to make a play.

Sungjae Im / Keith Mitchell (13-1)

It's a bit of a surprise that this team checks in third on the betting board, but Im has been receiving more love from the oddsmakers lately, so perhaps he's driving the number. The problem is, these guys don't have great track records here. Im's best result was a T14 this past year and Mitchell has missed the cut in two of three tries. Pairing up with each other should help, but the odds seem a little light for this duo.

THE NEXT TIER

Sam Burns / Billy Horschel (15-1)

This is an interesting pair because one player is playing well and the other isn't, but both have solid track records here. Burns and Horschel finished runner-up last year and fourth the year before, so it's clear they have the chemistry needed to wind up on top. Horschel's form is an issue, but maybe Burns can carry him, or perhaps a return to New Orleans will kickstart his game.

Sahith Theegala / Justin Suh (21-1)

This team will be driven by the red-hot Theegala, but Suh has played well in this event before, so he will contribute. Unlike most PGA Tour events, there are a lot of new names in the field, which means the pool of teams that can actually win is much smaller than you'd expect and why the favorites check in at such a low number. In order to win this event at least one teammate needs to be on a roll, and that's Theegala.

Kurt Kitayama / Taylor Montgomery (24-1)

This is an interesting pair that comes in with a lot of momentum. To be fair, Kitayama's best golf came over a month ago and Montgomery played his best in the fall, but each is having a fine season. This team has only one appearance here between them, but this doesn't seem like a course that requires a lengthy track record to find success.

LONG SHOTS

Taylor Moore / Matthew NeSmith (55-1)

As noted, this is a tough week for long shots. You're counting on two players to make a run rather than two, and less-heralded teams need to play above their norm to take out groups of solid players. With that said, this team finished T4 this past year, so perhaps they can reach the promised land this time around.

Justin Lower / Dylan Wu (130-1)

I don't want to go too deep into this one, because honestly, there isn't a lot on paper to justify this pick. These odds are plenty inviting, though, and there are a couple things I like. Lower recently went through a rough patch, but he played well in the fall and got off to a good start in his last two starts, so maybe a teammate can help him get through the weekend in better shape. Also, this same duo scored a T10 here this past year.

ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES

Highly-owned Pick: Cantlay/Schauffele - I mention this every year because not all leagues have the same rules, but most I've seen allow you to pick one of the two guys and not use both of them. That's pivotal if you go with this duo, because there's no way you are using both in a non-elevated event.

Moderately-owned Pick: Burns/Horschel - Sticking with the theme of picking only one player, this looks like a great spot to get more of Burns by using Horschel. The latter has been off his game for most of the season, so there's no issue using him in this spot. If I had to use Burns, however, I wouldn't make this pick.

Lightly-owned Pick: Kitayama/Montgomery - You don't want to go too far down the odds chart, and this is as far as I would go. Many OAD players have probably used Montgomery already, but most should have Kitayama available. Though he's played well this season, I wouldn't worry about saving Kitayama for an elevated event.

Buyer Beware: Matt Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick - One is coming off a big win and the other is making his PGA Tour debut. I see some struggles for the brothers, as collectively I don't think they can match the talent of some of the other teams, not to mention that the more notable brother might not be fully invested on the heels of a playoff win over Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage.

This Week: Billy Horschel / Sam Burns - I'll state this again -- this pick is dependent on the ability to use just Horschel. I have both Burns and Horschel to choose from, but if I were forced to use Burns, I would not go this route because I want Burns for an elevated event down the road. I've used both Cantlay and Schauffele, so that team is not an option, and in order to get the Homa team I'd have to burn Morikawa. I want to save him as well, so this one is pretty easy in my mind.

Previous Results

SURVIVOR LEAGUES

This Week: Patrick Cantlay - Oddly enough, I've used both Horschel and Burns in this format, so I had to look elsewhere. Since there are fewer events that require a cut throughout the season, we can be more liberal with our picks in this contest. I'm using Cantlay instead of Schauffele because I like the latter's chances more in the three remaining majors.

Previous Results