The PGA Tour's lone team event commences Thursday with the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.
While this is one of the more unique events on the calendar, there are more ways to bet on the tournament than just who will emerge victorious on Sunday.
For more instant gratification, we turn to the first-round leader market to find value on who will sit atop the leaderboard when play comes to an end on Thursday.
Here are my favorite Zurich Classic first-round leader picks and PGA Tour predictions for Thursday's opening round.
Zurich Classic First-Round Leader Picks
Zurich Classic FRL Picks: Wyndham Clark and Taylor Moore
Odds: +3200 · DraftKings
Thursday’s opening round is a best-ball format, with each pair taking the better of their two scores on each hole. One tandem to target this week is Wyndham Clark and Taylor Moore.
Last year, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak won this tournament on the greens with excellent putting as a duo. If history is to repeat itself, it bodes well for Clark and Moore.
Clark’s putter was strong at last week’s RBC Heritage, where he finished fourth in the field in strokes gained: putting. He now ranks in the 61st percentile on the PGA Tour in that category.
Meanwhile, Moore’s putter has been even better this season. Entering this week, he ranks in the 77th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting.
Given the course profile, it is not surprising that both players have found success here. Clark finished third in 2023 and T10 in 2022, while Moore finished T4 in both of those seasons.
Zurich Classic FRL Picks: John Keefer and Michael Brennan
Odds: +3200 · DraftKings
Another tandem worth targeting in Thursday’s opening round is John Keefer and Michael Brennan.
Success on the greens is often supported by strong approach play to hit these small Pete Dye greens. The good news is that players are frequently positioned in the fairway due to the wide layout of the course.
As a result, a key metric this week is greens in regulation percentage from the fairway. That makes Keefer an appealing option, as he ranks 16th on the PGA Tour in that category.
Meanwhile, Brennan can also contribute, as he sits around the PGA Tour average in greens in regulation percentage from the fairway.
