Zurich Classic of New Orleans Odds, Field & Format
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the only FedEx Cup points-paying team event on the PGA Tour, takes place this week, and repeat champions are expected.
The tournament’s roots date back to 1938, but the team format didn’t begin until 2017. Before the change, the tournament had trouble drawing marquee players due to its position on the schedule after a spring full of big events, including the Masters. Now, more top players take part due to the unique nature of the event.
Winners earn all the same exemptions that they would for winning a standard PGA Tour event with the following exceptions: each player gets 400 FedEx Cup points for winning (instead of 500), and the winners do not get an invitation to the Masters for 2024.
The Format and Course
Eighty teams of two will start the competition, and the field will be cut down to the top 33 teams and ties after two rounds. The top available players from the PGA Tour Priority Rankings are allowed to pick their partner after committing to the tournament.
The first and third rounds are played under a four-ball format, where each player plays his own ball for the entire course with the best score counted for each hole. The second and fourth rounds have Foursomes rules, meaning players alternate shots with one golfer teeing off on the odd holes and the other starting on the even holes.
The event has been contested at TPC Louisiana in Avondale since 2007. It’s a 7,425-yard, par-72 course that stretches across the low country of the Mississippi River delta. The par-5 18th hole is a perfect hole to end a team competition, as it’s reachable in two but features water all the way down the fairway and has 12 bunkers to deal with.
Cantlay & Schauffele, in Fine Form, Heavily Favored to Repeat
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (+325) set the tournament record with a 29-under 259 last year, beating Sam Burns and Billy Horschel by two strokes. It was each golfer’s first win of 2022, but they went win more times throughout the year.
This year has started similarly—both men have played well but have yet to enter the winner’s circle. Cantlay has two-thirds and a fourth over the past two months along with a runner-up at the Shriners Children’s Open in October. Cantlay also started in the second-to-last group at the Masters but wound up tied for 14th after a 75 in the final round. He bounced back to finish third at the RBC Heritage last week.
Schauffele hasn’t missed a cut this season and has six top 10s in 11 events. His last three starts: reaching the quarterfinals of the WGC-Match Play, tied for 10th at the Masters, and fourth last week at Hilton Head.
Other Contenders
Collin Morikawa and Max Homa are next on the odds board at +800. Both men had different playing partners a year ago. Homa was with Talor Gooch—now of LIV Golf—and finished 21st. Morikawa and Viktor Hovland placed 29th. Both are products of Cal-Berkeley, so there will be camaraderie, but both are still looking for a good finish in this event. Maybe this partnership will prove to be the correct formula.
A better bet is probably Sam Burns and Billy Horschel (+1500). Horschel is a two-time winner here—once as a solo and in 2018 with Scott Piercy. Horschel has been slumping, but Burns is coming off a win at the WGC-Match Play a few weeks ago. They also have a great record of teaming up in this event. After starting with a fourth-place finish in 2021, the duo finished runner-up to Schauffele and Cantlay last year.
Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim are also at +1500. After taking the PGA Tour by storm last summer with a win at the Wyndham Invitational, playing well at the Presidents Cup, and winning again in Las Vegas, Tom Kim has come down to earth a bit. His 16th at the Masters was the best finish in his last seven events. Si Woo Kim won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January but has a best finish of 22nd since. Both Kims missed the cut at the RBC Heritage, so they have extra time to plan out their strategy as a team.
Sahith Theegala and Justin Suh are at +2000. Theegala won the QBE Shootout, an unofficial money event, last December with Tom Hoge, but he has yet to win an official PGA Tour event. He’s getting the reputation as quite the closer, as he charged up the leaderboard on Sunday each of the last two weeks, ending up with a ninth at Augusta and fifth at Harbour Town. Suh played well in the Florida swing, placing fifth at the Honda Classic and sixth at The Players Championship.
Longshots
Thomas Detry and Victor Perez (+4000) come in representing Belgium and France, respectively. Detry, a rookie on the PGA Tour, has logged three top-10 finishes this season. Perez, who ranks third in the DP World Tour standings, played one event this year—finishing 45th at the Valspar Championship.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick (+4000) are an interesting case. Matt Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage and will be teaming with brother Alex after he received a sponsor’s exemption to play. Alex Fitzpatrick turned pro last year and is making his PGA Tour debut. Since turning pro, he owns a pair of top-15 finishes on the DP World Tour.
2023 Zurich Classic odds
Even at a low price, it’s hard not to favor the defending champions. Outside of that, we’ll go with Burns and Horschel, Theegala and Suh, and the Fitzpatrick brothers.
Here are the latest golf odds from JazzSports for the PGA Tour’s 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
| GOLFERS | ODDS TO WIN 2023 ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS |
| Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay | +325 |
| Collin Morikawa/Max Homa | +800 |
| Sungjae Im/Keith Mitchell | +1200 |
| Si Woo Kim/Tom Kim | +1500 |
| Sam Burns/Billy Horschel | +1500 |
| Sahith Theegala/Justin Suh | +2000 |
| Kurt Kitayama/Taylor Montgomery | +2000 |
| Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler | +2500 |
| Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin | +3000 |
| Harris English/ Tom Hoge | +3000 |
Join Us to receive your daily golf content! Make sure to stay tuned for the latest Golf Betting Odds,
Golf News, & PGA Tour Schedule. Check out our Golf Tournaments Highlights every week!
Follow us on Social Media for Zurich Classic of New Orleans & Official World Golf Ranking, and more!
© CaddyBets 2023