Horses for Courses: Team chemistry counts in Bayou

Team golf returns this week for the eighth time at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The 2017 edition changed the format from stroke play to 80 two-man teams.

Battling Pete Dye’s TPC Louisiana, located in the suburb of Avondale, will be split into Four-ball (best ball) and Foursomes (alternate shot). Rounds 1 and 3 will consist of Four-ball, while Rounds 2 and 4 will use Foursomes. The top 33 teams and ties after 36 holes will play the final two rounds.

The par-72 provides 7,425 yards and wanders through the marshlands and swamps of the Bayou. Protected by 106 bunkers and water penalty areas on eight holes, TPC Louisiana lurks with danger at every turn. Decisions, commitments and execution will keep teammates on edge throughout the round.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele (+450) sit at the top of the BetMGM Sportsbook board this week and will be the team to beat. The 2022 champions joined forces in 2021 for T11 and shared fourth in their title defense last year. Over three editions, they have rewritten the record books. Setting the tournament record of 29-under in 2022 was buoyed by an opening round 59, another record, in Round 1. Signing for 60 in Round 3, they matched the old scoring record and set the new Four-ball record of 119. The California duo matched the Foursomes scoring record in 2023 with 63 in Round 2.

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Fighting the temptations of Pete Dye again this week will be different with a partner along for the ride. Having two balls in the fairway is better than one, and the same goes for birdie-or-better chances on the greens. Spraying it off the tee will come with two inches of TifSport Bermudagrass to navigate, plus the strategically placed bunkers. Closely mown areas around the greens, water penalty areas, and bunkers can halt the birdie barrage required to win. In a shootout, the more fairways and greens hit, the more chances to score, and that’s what’s on the cards this week.

Defending champions Nick Hardy and Davis Riley (+5500) rolled in last year as a pair for the first time and set the tournament scoring record on 30-under-par. Circling 30 birdies and one eagle against only two bogeys, the new duo matched the par-4 scoring record 14-under set by Cantlay and Schauffele in 2022. More impressively, they played the par 3s in 6-under, three shots better than any other winning twosome over the previous five editions.

Birdie Average

The tournament champions from 2023 and 2022 have posted 30-under and 29-under, and all six winning totals have been 20-under or better. Last year, qualifying for the weekend required 10-under par, but the average 36-hole chopping point is a shade above 7-under. The winning pair has circled 25 or more birdies in five of the previous six tournaments. Scrambling to save par and avoiding bogeys or worse is required to keep up in the swamp but rounds in the 60s will be needed to contend. The average winning score hovers around 26-under.

The Florida Gators duo of Billy Horschel and Tyson Alexander (+5000) in the swamp makes sense this week. Taking the youngster under his wing, Horschel, the winner here on his own ball in 2013 before the format changed, has been here and done this. Winning the team title with Scott Piercy in 2018, the winner last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship ran second two years ago with Sam Burns riding shotgun. Missing the cut last year with Carl Yuan, Alexander will not have a steep learning curve to navigate with the local legend.

Par-5 Scoring

The par 5s range on the card between 548 and 585 yards. The four opportunities provide the famous Pete Dye risk-reward opportunities that can shake up the leaderboard. Taking advantage of these 16 chances will keep teams in the hunt or pressure those chasing the lead. Playing with a partner will add extra gravitas to the risk portion of the equation. The state bird of Louisiana is not the eagle, but there are plenty of chances to make birdies.

Taylor Moore and Matt NeSmith (+4000) have teed it up here twice and have cashed T4 each time. One of the few duos to return for the third consecutive season, the first time they played as a team in 2022, they opened with 60 in Four-balls. Posting 49-under over two editions, they reduced their bogey intake from four in 2022 to only two in 2023.

Matching the Foursomes record of 63 last year in Round 4, the Canadian team of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin (+2800) did not take long to figure this out. Finishing second the first time as a team, the boys from North of the border posted 67-63 in Foursomes. Finishing second on 28-under would have won four of the previous five Zurich Classics. Only squaring four bogeys on the week, the chemistry was evident.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

Beau Hossler and Sam Ryder (+5000): Leading or sharing the lead for the first 54 holes in 2023, the former and partner Wyndham Clark (not entered) couldn’t close the deal and finished third. The 2022 edition saw the latter and partner Doc Redman (not entered) backdoor a podium payday after a super 67 on Sunday. Both players will have a point of reference if things heat up on Sunday.

David Lipsky and Aaron Rai (+6600): After cashing T4 on debut, the pair returned last year for another top-15 payday (T13). Posting 43-under over the last two editions, they have opened with 62 and 61 in Four-balls. The third time might be the charm for continuing the momentum.

Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney (+25000): Playing for the seventh time together, Southern California (Hoffman) and Northern California (Watney) have cashed in five of six with four paydays T19 or better, including a pair of top-10 results.

-Odds courtesy of BetMGM-

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