Coming off the heels of The Masters and RBC Heritage, the PGA Tour will get quite the change of pace this week, transitioning from usual stroke play, to team play for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The event will still be your standard four-day, 72-hole event; however, Thursday and Saturday of play will be best ball, where each player plays their own ball and the lowest score on the hole counts and Friday and Sunday will be foursomes, requiring partners to play a single ball, alternating shots until the ball is in the cup.
As expected, the field will be a downgrade from what we have seen the last couple of weeks. Headliners topping the odds board this week consist of the Fitzpatrick brothers (Matt and Alex), Matt of whom just won the RBC Heritage and the pairing of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.
It’s going to be a light betting week for me, given the nature of the event. However, we have a beautiful stretch coming up over the next four weeks: two Signature Events at elite tracks (the Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral’s Blue Monster and the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow), a stop in Myrtle Beach the following week, and then the second major of the year at Aronimink Golf Club for the PGA Championship.
How about we find a winner this week? Let's dial in.
What is the Zurich Classic?
The Zurich Classic is played at TPC Louisiana, a par 72 measuring just over 7,400 yards. The course is perfect for team play, featuring short par 4s and plenty of risk-reward holes. Based on my past experience handicapping this event, it is quite hard to model for statistical success; therefore, I am going to dial in on pairings who have simply been playing solid golf as of late, along with those who have been elite on approach and shown signs of spike putting weeks.
Our Expert's Outright Winner for 2026 Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens / Zach Bauchou +3100
As mentioned, a light week on my end, so I am only going with one outright. The pairing of Sam Stevens and Zach Bauchou just makes complete sense. Teammates and roommates at Oklahoma State, both playing some solid golf this year, and Stevens in particular, are just absolutely crushing on approach. I truly think it's time for Stevens to get his first victory on Tour. He’s been knocking on the door for the last two years now, with six T5 finishes over the last three years. Zach Bauchou is a PGA rookie who has three T25s this year.
I believe their games will complement each other very well when the pair gets into an alternate shot. Stevens has always been known for his long driving, but his improved approach is what’s really putting me over the line here. Parlay this with Bauchou’s strong scrambling and putting, this is the exact recipe I want to see for an event like this.
Pretty much a crap shoot week, but have a weird gut feeling about this one. I placed my bet early on Monday when these odds came out. Sometimes this type of approach just works out. I would love some house money moving into the next three weeks here. Let's go!
