Blake Davis
Grab your partner! The 2024 Zurich Classic takes its annual place on the calendar, hosting Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup stars in a team-style event at TPC Louisiana. Hosting 80 two-player teams, the seventh edition of the team version of the Zurich Classic will see competitors play four balls in rounds 1 and 3 and four balls in rounds 2 and 4.
Few duos have been more effective together than Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. Winners of this event in 2022, Cantlay and Schauffele used their Zurich Classic triumph as a springboard for a very successful summer. With Scottie Scheffler ruling the golf world (and not on the course this week), the two are hoping for more of the same after a strong period of good form for both.
The Americans are undoubtedly the favorites to win the Zurich Classic for the second time in three years, but there are newcomers on the prowl. Most notable is the European team of Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy – which handed Cantlay and Schauffele their first loss together in foursomes last fall in the Ryder Cup. They will now rely on Lowry for their first two appearances at this tournament.
McIlroy hasn’t been his usual self in 2024, but that’s when he started to ramp things up a season ago. Meanwhile, Lowry continues to attack beautifully and is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory in nearly a decade.
Others on the field include Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala, who will play alongside each other for the first time. Las Vegas residents Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama will join, as will Canadian duos Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, as well as Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.
2024 Zurich Classic Schedule
Dates: April 25th to 28th | Location: TPC Louisiana – Avondale, Louisiana
Pair: 72 | Yard: 7,425 | Handbag: $8,900,000
Format
The Zurich Classic will employ an alternating round of four balls and foursomes. Teams will start in the four-ball format in Round 1 and utilize it again in Round 3, while foursomes – commonly called alternative pitches – will be used in Rounds 2 and 4.
- Four balls: Players on each team will play their own ball throughout the round, with the better score of the two used for each hole. If Schauffele makes par on No. 1 and Cantlay makes birdie, the team will record a birdie.
- Quartet: Before the round begins, teams will determine which member will tee off on which holes. One player will be designated to tee off on odd-numbered holes, while the other will tee off on even-numbered holes. If Cantlay hits the tee shot at No. 1, Schauffele will approach with Cantlay hitting third. This alternation will continue until the ball is hit. Even if Schauffele is the last to hit No. 1, he will tee off on the second hole in this case.
Zurich Classic 2024 pitch, odds
- Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (5-1)
- Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry (7-1): This week will mark McIlroy’s fourth consecutive tournament and 11th of the year. The world number 2 is still active and will need to discover something in his game alongside Lowry. McIlroy has been only average – by his standards – on the PGA Tour, with his best finish being a distant third place at the Texas Open. His iron play hasn’t been great, but fortunately that’s been the area where Lowry has thrived. With McIlroy’s potent driver and Lowry’s sharp approach, the two have a path to victory. But problems arise when the two reach the green, as neither has been consistent on or around the putting surface.
- Will Zalatoris/Sahith Theegala (10-1): Zalatoris placed in the top five in this event alongside Davis Riley in 2022, while Sahith Theegala claimed the top 25 a year ago with Justin Suh. The two will now come together and could be the perfect match. Theegala became one of the best players in the game by rolling with the best and turning a driver weakness into a significant strength. Meanwhile, Zalatoris remains steady in the hitting department and is moving in the right direction with the bat.
- Collin Morikawa/Kurt Kitayama (16-1)
- Rasmus Hojgaard/Nicolai Hojgaard (22-1)
- Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy (25-1)
- Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick (25-1): The brother duo are back after finishing T23 on their 2023 debut. Alex has been playing some really solid golf lately, with a top 25 in the Dominican Republic last week and a string of other quality results on the DP World Tour. The elder Fitzpatrick has also looked great since finishing fifth at the Players Championship. They must improve the result from a year ago.
- Taylor Pendrith/Corey Conners (28-1)
- Taylor Montgomery/Ben Griffin (40-1)
- Sepp Straka/Brice Garnett (40-1): This team could win this event or they could finish last. Garnett is fresh off winning the Puerto Rico Open and finishing in the top 20 at last week’s RBC Heritage. At that same event, Straka appeared alongside Scheffler in the final round and ultimately settled for a T5 finish. This marked Straka’s third quality match in his last four starts, as his iron play is starting to peak and his putter is following suit. The bad news is that neither saw the weekend in this team event.
- Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin (40-1)
- Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen (40-1)
Zurich Classic 2024 Expert Picks
Who will win the Zurich Classic and which long shots will surprise the golf world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best betsall from the model who has conquered 11 golf courses and accumulated over $9,000 since June 2020.
