Week 16 Approach Shots: Zurich Classic

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THE OTHER ARGENTINE: In only his 12th PGA TOUR start, Argentina's Andres Romero came from six strokes off the lead at the halfway point and went on to edge Peter Lonard by one stroke to win the 2008 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Because of bad weather, Romero finished his third round Sunday morning and then finished the final round two-and-a-half hours before the last group completed its play.

Quick Facts

WHAT: 18th of 37 regular-season PGA TOUR events WHEN: April 23-26 WHERE: Avondale, La. COURSE: TPC Louisiana TV: 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET, Thurs.-Fri.; 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET,Sat.-Sun. on GOLF CHANNEL; 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. on CBS RADIO: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET Thurs.-Sun., PGA TOUR Network (XM 146/SIRIUS 209) FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner KEY LINKS: Tee times | Leaderboard SHOT TRACKER | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

The victory was the high point of Romero's career year, where he finished 28th in the FedExCup standings, earned $2,064,612 and enjoyed two other top-10 finishes.

This is the third consecutive year TPC Louisiana is hosting the event following the course's closure after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Overall, this will be TPC Louisiana's fourth time as the site of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

PLAYER NOTES: Romero, who went on to earn 2008 Rookie of the Year honors after his Zurich Classic victory, returns to defend his title this week. Since his win in New Orleans, Romero has made the cut in five consecutive major championships, most recently a tie for 49th at this year's Masters Tournament. This season, the 27-year-old has a season-best tie for third at the Northern Trust Open. ...

Louisiana native David Toms made two major changes recently. The first was re-hiring his old caddie, Scott Gneiser, at the 2008 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational after a one-year hiatus. The second was reverting back to his previous equipment company, Cleveland Golf. Eleven of his 12 PGA TOUR titles came using Cleveland clubs.

The 2001 PGA Championship winner looks to be back on track after a less-than-satisfactory 2008 when he had just one top-10 finish (a tie for eighth at the Viking Classic) and failed to make more than $2 million in a season ($799,114) for the first time this decade. After nine consecutive years finishing inside the top 32 on the money list, Toms was 131st last year. Toms won this event in 2001 with a 22-under 266. ...

No player posted four rounds in the 60s at the 2008 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In 2007, Nick Watney became the first Zurich Classic of New Orleans winner to post all four rounds in the 60s (69-67-68-69) since Carlos Franco did it in 2000 when he posted scores of 67-67-68-68 at English Turn Golf and Country Club. Watney is the only player to enjoy all four rounds in the 60s at TPC Louisiana. Watney, this year's Buick Invitational winner, has been outside the top 25 in only one of his nine starts this season (a tie for 59th at the Northern Trust Open). ...

Joe Ogilvie was one of five players to shoot all four rounds in the 60s (66-67-66-68) at the 2004 Zurich Classic of New Orleans when he tied for second with Phil Mickelson, one stroke behind winner Vijay Singh. Ogilvie's only round in the 60s at this tournament since then is a 69 in the first-round of the 2007 tournament. He went on to tie for 80th that year.

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers is on the scene in New Orleans for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Albers:

You can't come to New Orleans without feasting on the food, and the Zurich Classic makes sure that golfers' appetites are satisfied. During Wednesday's pro-am, every three holes, a famous French Quarter restaurant provided samples of its cuisine.

Kenny Perry is ready to make his first showing since his disappointing defeat at the Masters. He received more than 600 letters after losing to Angel Cabrera, and even President Bush (43) wrote him a note. Perry says it will be difficult to regain his concentration following the disappointing loss but has a longstanding commitment to this tournament and says its important to support New Orleans, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

It was easy to spot the most popular pro-am group on Wednesday -- that would have been Eli and Peyton Manning. The duo of NFL quarterbacks, who are natives of New Orleans are both accomplished golfers, although Peyton relished the opportunity to tease Eli, saying "you should have seen the hosle rockets he was hitting on the range. Shank city."

Eli recovered nicely, making four natural birdies during his round.

PGA TOUR Network announcer Michael Collins emceed Tuesday's sponsor party and received a slot in Wednesday's pro-am. Michael blinded the gallery, wearing a lime-green shirt with checkered lime-green and pink shorts. Not many players can pull off that combination, and Michael is not one of them.

Weather forecast for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Mostly sunny Temp: 83 high/65 low Partly cloudy Temp: 83 high/67 low Partly cloudy Temp: 81 high/67 low Partly Cloudy Temp: 80 high/66 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

Zurich Classic snippets

Last chance: The Zurich Classic is the last opportunity for players to move into the top 10 in the FedExCup standings and qualify (if not already qualified) for THE PLAYERS Championship in May. Anyone in the top 58 in the current standings could conceivably reach the top 10 this week. Tour double: Patrick Sheehan will be looking to equal Paul Stankowki's 1996 record of winning on the Nationwide Tour one week and on the PGA TOUR the following week. Sheehan won last week's Athens Regional Foundation Classic and will tee it up in New Orleans this week. New kid on the block: Danny Lee, the current U.S. Amateur champion, will make his professional debut this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. For the kids: An annual Youth Clinic featuring The Dennis Walters Show too place on Monday from 12-1:30 p.m.; Fore!Kids Foundation brought more than 200 children from Jefferson Parish schools to enjoy lunch and the clinic.

In the spotlight

This week: Kenny Perry

Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM will spotlight one key player in the field. For this week's Zurich Classic, it's recent Masters heartbreak story Kenny Perry. Learn more about Kenny

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 and 2011 • 500 FedExCup points • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2009 PLAYERS Championship, '09 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, '09 Memorial Tournament, '09 AT&T National, '09 World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational, '09 PGA Championship, 2010 Mercedes-Benz Championship and '10 Masters • If a U.S. player: 2,052,000 points towards making the 2009 Presidents Cup team. • If it is a second victory for a player since last June 4, a spot in the U.S. Open

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-3, 215-yard 17th at TPC Louisiana LAST YEAR: The 17th played to a stroke average of 3.205, with players recording 0 aces, 41 birdies, 303 pars, 80 bogeys and 19 double bogeys. DESCRIPTION: Bunkers to the left were eliminated and replaced by bulkheading, but the pot bunker on the right remains. Par will be a great score on the newly reshaped green. (Click here for TPC Louisiana tour)