SUNDAY: Stay tuned for Billy Horschel's winner's press conference.

All interviews will be streamed on PGATOUR.COM.

Tuesday, April 23
Guan Tianlang, 3 p.m. ET

Wednesday, April 24
Jason Dufner, 10 a.m. ET
Justin Rose, 3:30 p.m. ET
Bubba Watson, after pro-am

Jason Dufner and Ernie Els squared off in a playoff last year at TPC Louisiana. 

FIELD LIST: Zurich Classic of New Orleans | Guan, 14, gets sponsor invite

By Jeff Shain, PGATOUR.COM contributor

• COURSE: TPC Louisiana, 7,425 yards, par 72. Located in the suburbs just west of New Orleans, the 2004 Pete Dye design winds through some 250 acres of Louisiana wetlands along the Mississippi River delta. The course features more than 100 bunkers, plus several large waste bunkers along the first six holes of the back nine. The Zurich Classic relocated there in 2005, though flooding a year later forced a one-time return to English Turn G&CC. Last year, TPC Louisiana ranked as the 10th easiest layout on the PGA TOUR schedule.

• FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points.

• CHARITY: The Fore!Kids Foundation, which has given more than $23 million to Louisiana children’s service organizations since its founding 55 years ago. Donations focus on health-care and education projects.

• FIELD WATCH: World No. 4 Justin Rose and defending champion Jason Dufner are among just six to sign up from among the top 25 in this week’s world rankings. ... Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old Chinese whiz who made the Masters cut two weeks ago, is in on a sponsor exemption. It’ll be relatively familiar territory – he spent a month with a family friend last year while preparing for U.S. Open qualifying.

• 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Chip Beck (1988 at Lakewood CC). TPC Louisiana record: 269, Jason Dufner and Ernie Els (2012).

• 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Paul Stankowski (1st round, 2001 at English Turn G&CC). TPC Louisiana record: 64, Kyle Reifers (1st round, 2007), Troy Matteson (2nd round, 2009), Dean Wilson (2nd round, 2011), Greg Chalmers (2nd round, 2012), Russell Knox (2nd round, 2012), Ryan Palmer (3rd round, 2012).

• LAST YEAR: Dufner finally ended his long wait for a PGA TOUR victory, going two extra holes before a birdie that finally pushed him clear of a hard-charging Ernie Els. The World Golf Hall of Famer made up a three-shot deficit with a closing 67, but missed a 16-foot try at birdie on the final hole of regulation. Els then missed a 5-foot birdie attempt when they replayed No. 18 to start the playoff. Dufner put an end to it on the third pass, reaching the green in two and lagging up to a tap-in birdie. Els found a fairway bunker on the second replay, missing a long birdie from the fringe. Dufner’s first victory came after eight years and 164 PGA TOUR starts.

• STORYLINES: Dufner, seeking to become the fifth man to win back-to-back in New Orleans, hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in his past four visits. He tied for third in 2011, seventh a year earlier and ninth in 2009. … Els has three top-3 finishes in six starts in New Orleans, though last year was the first time he had played TPC Louisiana. … Five of the past eight champions made New Orleans their first PGA TOUR win, a trend that seems strong again with so few highly ranked participants. … Former champ David Toms, whose 2001 win preceded a PGA Championship title, will play his home-state event for the 20th time.

• SHORT CHIPS: The Zurich Classic has been decided by either one stroke or in a playoff eight times in the past 10 editions. The lone exceptions were won by Nick Watney (2007) and Jason Bohn (2010). … Champions Tour pro Neal Lancaster makes his fourth PGA TOUR start of 2013, given a sponsor exemption.

• TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. EDT (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).

• RADIO: Thursday- Sunday, noon-6 p.m. EDT (SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio).

By PGA TOUR staff

Golf trends move fast, and another one has swept across social media and beyond. First there was Golf Boys' "2.Oh" music video" and then Sergio Garcia's tree shot. Now there's "Dufnering."

The new term was coined after a photo of Dufner began circulating online (above) of him visiting the Salesmanship Youth and Family Centers as the defending champion of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Shortly after Dufner’s peers came off the golf course at the Shell Houston Open on Thursday, the photo quickly spread across Twitter.

This post from Keegan Bradley had over 1,500 retweets.

"Haha I don't know what to say. This is the best picture ever." #duffdaddy twitter.com/Keegan_Bradley…

— Keegan Bradley (@Keegan_Bradley) March 28, 2013

If imitation is flattery, Dufner should be feeling quite good about himself. Rory McIlroy was the first to share his imitation, which he termed #Dufnering in a Twitter hashtag. twitter.com/McIlroyRory/st…

— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) March 29, 2013

This was quickly followed by more #Dufnering tweets from players and fans alike, with nearly 5,000 mentions on Twitter through 9:30 a.m. ET Friday morning and a place on the USA Trending Topics list.

Hey @keegan_bradley just #Dufnering in the garage!! twitter.com/bubbawatson/st…

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) March 29, 2013

#Dufnering @keegan_bradley @brandtsnedeker twitter.com/DJohnsonPGA/st…

— Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) March 29, 2013

Spiral staircase #dufnering @keegan_bradley @jasondufner twitter.com/John_Willard5/…

— John Willard (@John_Willard5) March 29, 2013

For his part, Dufner has taken the whole thing in stride, retweeting several #Dufnering tweets from fans last night, and giving his explanation earlier today.

What can I say, I was tired, my back hurt from sitting on the floor, and we were talking about relaxation and focusing. #dufnering

— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) March 29, 2013

Submit your own to #Dufnering photo to the PGA TOUR’s Twitter photoboard through the weekend, or see the collection at twt.pl/1zj

MARANA, Ariz. -- South African Richard Sterne, a 14th seed, upset American Jason Dufner, a No. 3 seed, in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Sterne, advancing to the second round for the first time in three starts in this event, now faces defending champ Hunter Mahan in the Player bracket.

Sterne entered Thursday 3 up on Dufner through 10 holes. He increased his lead by winning the 11th hole when Dufner bogeyed the par-5 hole. But then Dufner got hot, reeling off four birdies in a five-hole stretch. Fortunately for Sterne, he halved two of those holes with his own birdies.

Still, when the match reached the 17th hole, Sterne was only 1 up. But Dufner found the greenside bunker with his second shot and could not take advantage of a Sterne bogey. Both players ended the match with pars.

"Match play is a strange game and it showed today," Sterne said. "I was 4 up and then suddenly I was struggling to finish the match off. That just shows you a few birdies at the right time for somebody else can put a lot of pressure on."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --  Jason Dufner's PGA TOUR-leading streak of consecutive cuts made came to an end on Friday at TPC Scottsdale.

Dufner, who had not missed a cut since the Sony Open in Hawaii last year, a streak of 22 straight, made three bogeys in his final seven holes on Friday, two of which came on par 5s, to fall one shot shy of playing the weekend.

Ian Poulter now has the longest streak of consecutive cuts made at 16.

Dufner, who tied for eighth at last year's Waste Management Phoenix Open and lost in a playoff in 2010, shot an even par 71 on Friday to finish 3 under for the tournament.

A total of 74 players survived the cut, including defending champion Kyle Stanley.

Among those making early exits are J.B. Holmes, a two-time champ at TPC Scottsdale; Rickie Fowler; PGA TOUR rookie Nicolas Colsaerts; former major champions Trevor Immelman, Martin Kaymer, Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Weir; and the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open champ Mark Wilson.

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

Here are some equipment news and notes from around the golf world this weekend:

Lee Westwood tests out new Ping G25 driver

David Toms puts Cleveland tour-only prototype irons in play at Humana Challenge

Rickie Fowler had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot of the 2013 PGA TOUR season, as he launched a drive that landed safely in the fairway at the first hole in Friday's opening round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (see photo above).

Playing partner Jason Dufner followed with a drive down the left side of the par-4 hole.

As the two walked down the fairway, the winds picked up and rainy conditions became worse. Winds were at more than 25 mph, with the rain blowing sideway. Both players quickly put on their rain gear.

To preview the 2013 PGA TOUR season, PGATOUR.COM is counting down the Top 100 Players to Watch in 2013. For an archive page with the top 100 players and for an explanation on how the list was compiled, click here.

MORE TOP 100: Back to No. 13 | Forward to No. 11 | Top 100 archive

2013 PREVIEW: Jason Dufner has come into his own over the last two years on TOUR -- his two-win season in 2012 proving 2011's playoff loss at the PGA Championship was no fluke. With his laid-back demeanor, Dufner isn't likely to get rattled, and more chances to win in 2013 are hardly an unrealistic expectation. He'd be an asset to the U.S. Presidents Cup team, as well.

2012 DEFINING MOMENT: Dufner's two wins came in a seminal span of three weeks. First was the playoff win over Ernie Els at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans where Dufner two-putted from 59 feet for birdie on the second extra hole. Dufner won his next tournament in regulation, making a 26-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to edge Dicky Pride by one shot at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Dufner, who ended the season with eight top-10s on TOUR, also went 3-1-0 in his Ryder Cup debut. –- Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

ALBERS’ QUICK TAKE: It was hard not to be excited on the first tee at the Ryder Cup. My hands were shaking jut holding a microphone and yet Jason Dufner seemed so casual. His even keel demeanor is amazing.I thought he might have gotten tired at the end of the year but was strong at the Ryder Cup. Jason has dramatically improved his short game through practice. In 2010 he was 92nd on TOUR in scrambling. In 2012 Dufner had improved to 8th, a move of 84 places in two years because of practice. -- Fred Albers, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio

BOLTON’S FANTASY OUTLOOK: One of my favorite fantasy values. Carries himself with exactly the kind of poise we love. Seemed unaffected by a torrid run in April and May that produced his first two PGA TOUR wins. One of the best in the world tee-to-green, which sets the stage for numerous opportunities to score. Streaky putter, but better than average more of the time. Will begin 2013 leading the PGA TOUR with 21 consecutive cuts made. Not recommended for salary gamers at $4.869 million. -- Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy expert

SOCIAL MEDIA: Find him on Twitter | Facebook

2012 QUICK REVIEW

Regular Season ranking 2nd

Final Playoffs ranking 14th

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What is your prediction for Jason Dufner in 2013? Fill out the form below and let us know