Zurich Classic 2022 predictions, expert’s pick, odds, golf format, course class, best bets at TPC Louisiana
This week’s Zurich Classic is a big difference from the usual week after week on the PGA Tour. Smack in the middle masters and the PGA Championship, golfers will switch from traditional 72-hole stroke play to team play. There will be 80 rarely used four-ball and four-ball doubles matches this weekend at TPC Louisiana.
And there’s a lot to like about both the event and the format that will be used. Especially considering the many pairs that have been put together for the Zurich Classic. There are a couple of powerhouse contenders and many other exciting matches among the favorites, which will make for a unique weekend and exciting tournament held just outside of New Orleans.
Let’s take a closer look at this week’s competition with odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Information & Events
Incident: 2022 Zurich Classic | Day: April 21-23
Place: TPC Louisiana – Avondale, Louisiana
Three things to know
1. Format: If you’re familiar with the Ryder Cup or the President Cup, you’ll be familiar with the formats used this week. The only concern since the event turned into a team game is how to finish the final round. This year, the format will be best ball on Thursday and Saturday for Round 1 and Round 3 and quadruple (or alternate) on Friday and Sunday for Round 2. Last year, this turned into a frenzy. when Marc Leishman made it to the round of 16 for the birdie after Cameron Smith drove his shot into the water and the Australian team won the playoffs. While four balls (or the best ball) lead to a lower score, four is perhaps more appealing on the final day.
2. Ryder Cup redux: Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland played each other in a singles match on Sunday in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits last year and shot a best 59. Now, both are ranked in the top 5 in the world and decided intend to kick the pair together because of this incident. Incredibly, they weren’t even completely likable ones. That distinction is shared with Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who also played together (albeit on the same team) at Whistling Straits, scoring 2-0 together. Both are ranked in the top 12 in the world right now, and although neither pairing includes two of the hottest players in golf (Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith), the two will be absolutely menacing in four-ball game (all four are in the top 13 on the PGA Tour by birdie percentage so far this season). If either team plays well in the quarterfinals, they will probably win.
3. Scottie emerges: Geoff Shackelford pointed this out earlier in the week, but we haven’t seen Scheffler since he donned the blue jacket at Augusta National, which is not the norm when it comes to the Masters champion. We’ll see him later this week when he pairs up with Ryan Palmer, who has now played with Scheffler (no. 1 at the time), Jon Rahm (no. 11 at the time), Rahm again ( number 3 at the time) and Jordan Spieth (number 3 at the time). It’s funny and will feed the week, but I’m excited to hear from Scheffler and see where his game is after three straight months of winning everything he’s seen. .
Categorize this field
Interestingly, this is not a tournament that counts towards the official World Golf Ranking as OWGR does not give points for team events. However, the playing field is very strong with 4 players in the top 12 mentioned above along with Smith, Scheffler, Sam Burns, Billy Horschel (with each other), Tyrrell Hatton (with Danny Willett), Tommy Fleetwood (with Sergio Garcia), Harold Varner III (with Bubba Watson) and Joaquin Niemann (with Mito Pereira). Add it all up and half of the top 20 players in the world kick the ball this weekend. Also, Bill Haas and his dad, Jay (68), will be playing as a team this week. Grade A
Rick Gehman joins Kyle Porter, Jonathan Coachman and Mark Immelman for a preview of Zurich Classic 2022. Follow and listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Expert’s Choice Zurich Classic
Winner – Sam Burns & Billy Horschel (12-1): The two have been quietly playing some high-quality golf, and they completed two playoffs at the event last year. If you look at the last 20 innings for everyone in the field, both Horschel and Burns are in the top 20 in the field for total strokes. Not many teams, including Hovland and Morikawa, can claim that. I also love how their skill sets complement each other and how they will thrive in the alternate footage format.
Top 10 endings – Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley (5/2): I originally picked this duo to win and there could have been a video floating around me saying that, but I reversed that in the last second. Zalatoris is enough to carry Riley around even when Riley doesn’t have the best of her. However, aside from a nice performance and a near win at the Valspar Championship, Riley has really hit the ball this year. However, Zalatoris stands out as one of the best in the field and is about to have another stellar Masters performance. Although I don’t want them to win anymore, I really like them a lot to make it into that top 10 by a pretty good number.
Sleepers – Maverick McNealy & Joseph Bramlett (50-1): Bramlett is a favorite among DFS fans for his shots, and McNealy has played and is playing one of the best golf of anyone in the field. The shortcomings Bramlett lacked in his short game may have been masked by McNealy’s mastery in that area. McNealy has been really solid this season with just one miss and five top 20 finishes in 15 starts. He’s 16th on the court in total strokes in his last 20 rounds.
