Zurich Classic 2023 standings, scores: Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele slow start to title defense
After setting a record of 18-, 36-, 54- and 72-holes on their way to victory at last year’s Zurich Classic, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were selected to successfully defend their title. That prediction was quickly dispelled on Thursday at the Zurich Classic 2023 when the world No 4s and 5s took the lead after their first six holes. While they tried their best to fight back, a 67 in the first round left them six strokes behind the initial lead set by Brandon Matthews and Sean O’Hair as well as Beau Hossler and Wyndham Clark with number less than 11 points.
The good news for Cantlay and Schauffele is that their preferred format – four-player – will be introduced in Rounds 2 and 4. Additionally, bad weather is expected to hit the Louisiana TPC area and could be limited. the ability of teams to earn group birdies. This chart is geared towards the end of the week.
The bad news is that there are some capable teams standing between them and the leaders of the standings. Sungjae Im and Keith Mitchell made it through the gates to advance to the 62nd round, which even included a rare four-ball drop. British tennis players Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick sit in the same number after the brothers’ all-out effort while young shooters Sahith Theegala and Justin Suh are one man behind with under-9 points.
With the top 33 and teams advancing to the second part of the tournament, Friday’s round of four will divide the field in several ways.
Leaders
T1. Sean O’Hair/Brandon Matthews, Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler (-11)
At first glance, they seem like an odd couple, but their skill sets fit very well together. Matthews is the longest-running player on earth (that’s no exaggeration) and O’Hair has been hitting some form of form lately, especially with his irons and around the green. The two ham and egg dishes do pretty well but most of the time both play really solid golf. Game day was marked by Matthews’ hole-punch from the fairway at 12, and if he can consistently put O’Hair on the tee in Round 2, much of the same is likely to happen. .
other candidates
T3. Keith Mitchell/Sungjae Im, Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick, David Lipsky/Aaron Rai, Henrik Norlander/Luke List, SY Noh/Michael Kim (-10)
T8. Doc Redman/Sam Ryder, Justin Suh/Sahith Theegala, Troy Merritt/Robert Streb, Joseph Bramlett/Brandon Wu, Martin Trainer/Chad Ramey (-9)
There have been plenty of teams claiming their first career win on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic and Suh and Theegala could be this year’s edition. The defending champion Korn Ferry Tour of the Year took a chance at the Honda Classic a few months ago while Theegala has gone through several close runs with seven top-six finishes in the last 24 starts. They have the firepower to keep up with four-man tackles, but the duo’s four-man play will most likely decide their fate.
“I feel like Justin and I have known each other for a long time, we’re good friends and we’re both pretty comfortable,” Theegala said. “We’ve been going back and forth since we were 10, it feels like that. I don’t even remember – I think I brought it to Napa, like the first event of the year, because because I was excited.” that Justin received his card. I was like, man, let’s make a team. Let’s be a team for this event.”
Did we just become best friends?
It was an odd couple on paper, but Mitchell begged me for this partnership for a while and finally granted his wish. The two went around TPC Louisiana in a 10 under 9 format with birdies, an eagle and a ghost. While they have scored an impressive score in four-man tackles, statistically the duo could be better suited for four-man matches given Mitchell’s driving skills and similar approaches. like Im’s laser.
“I’ve always been his best friend,” Mitchell said. “I just want him to like me back.”
Brotherhood
It was a huge effort by the entire Fitzpatrick family as the two brothers relied on each other when needed. With five birdies each for the day, the Fitzpatrick brothers were able to climb to the top of the rankings by a margin of 10. The world No. 8 is set to have a great week at the RBC Heritage, where he earned a second win on the PGA Tour. If he makes it to the winner’s ring again this week, Fitzpatrick will not only claim a third win but also secure baby playing privileges.
“I hate that phrase [ham and egg]”, said Matt Fitzpatrick. “The ham and eggs are very American, and we’re from England…We did a great job. I played really solid at nine forwards, he played great at nine defenders, and he saved me a couple of times, which was obviously very beneficial, and yes, it was a day. Great.”
2023 Zurich Classic updated odds and selections
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Sungjae Im/Keith Mitchell: 5-1
- Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler: 6-1
- Sahith Theegala/Justin Suh: 11-1
- Sam Burns/Billy Horschel: 11-1
- Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick: 12-1
- Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele: 12-1
- David Lipsky/Aaron Rai: 16-1
- Collin Morikawa/Max Homa: 18-1
The defending champions still played stably despite the early lead. Cantlay and Schauffele are unbeaten in the quarter-final matches between the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup and they acquitted quite well in this format a season ago with a score of 68-72. Cantlay entered the first week in terms of strokes gained from teeing off while Schauffele topped the number of strokes gained on approach over the past three months. With this combination, the Americans should be able to steadily climb the leaderboard while the others struggle.
If you’re looking for a little extra juice to your juice, the team of Will Gordon and Davis Thompson impressed on Thursday. After shooting 9 under 63, they were only two strokes behind with a score of 28-1.
Rick Gehman with Mark Immelman discussing another lower body surgery for Tiger Woods and the first round of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Follow and listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts And Spotify.
