Draws and Fades: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans presents a moment to take a breath in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. The game does not include the team event, so there is no action this week. Segment 3 will resume with the inaugural Mexico Open at Vidanta. So to will the traditional Draws and Fades that are omitted below.

RELATED: How Team Format Works | Play Pick 'Em Live | The First Look

However, PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live will turn over on Wednesday for Zurich. Bets for outrights, Top 10s, Top 20s and R1 Leader will be among the options as usual.

Regarding Pick ‘Em Live for a moment, remember that no matter how many entries are submitted for any tournament, prize money does not change. So, while the Masters always draws the most attention – it had more than 10,000 entries – you battled against more bodies for a payday than last week’s RBC Heritage that hosted 4,816 entries … for the same payday!

Pick ‘Em Preview for Zurich will publish as usual on Wednesday. Mike Glasscott and I always include tips and tricks that will help you contend. I also practice what I preach. In the first eight tournaments, I’ve logged a third (Honda), 10th (PLAYERS) and a 19th (Heritage).

If you’re an owner in a season-long format, your patience now is rewarded. After this week’s 160-man Zurich in which all golfers through conditional status have gained entry, and extending through the 156-man Wyndham Championship, 10 of the 11 opens will host the maximum. The Mexico Open has reserved tee times for 132, but the entire Korn Ferry Tour graduate reshuffle (at least) is expected to qualify on merit. (Bryson Nimmer, Jeffrey Kang, Patrick Flavin and Turk Pettit emerged from the open qualifier for the tournament on April 18.)

So, while a few guys deep in the overall pecking order will moonlight on the KFT when the PGA TOUR is engaging in invitationals in the coming months, you can expect a regular schedule from your charges for whom playing time had been sporadic. It’s also the time to strike for free agents if you already haven’t.

POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD
Bubba Watson & Harold Varner III (-125 for a Top 20) … There are a few teams not included in my Power Rankings or Sleepers that present a compelling narrative, nonetheless. This is one of them. Of course, HV3 nipped Watson with a cross-court heave that found the hoop at the buzzer for victory at the Saudi Invitational in early February, and he’s kept the pedal down in recent weeks, connecting five cuts made from a T6 at THE PLAYERS to a T18 at the Match Play to a T3 at the RBC Heritage where he was the 54-hole leader. However, he’s 0-for-4 in the team format at TPC Louisiana. On the flipside, Watson hasn’t missed a cut in all four tries. He’s recorded a pair of top 10s (2017, 2021) and he prevailed as an individual in 2011. The lefty’s form upon arrival this week hasn’t been as impressive as his partner’s, but by no means is playing poorly enough not to deserve this value.

RETURNING TO COMPETITION
Brandon Hagy & Cameron Percy (+450 for a Top 20) … Both are coming off health-related issues, so it’s a coincidence that they’ve joined forces. Hagy called it quits during his second round of the RBC Heritage due to a sore back. He’s just 7-for-18 on the season and 200th in the FedExCup. Meanwhile, Percy has been sidelined since a T4 at Corales, his second top 10 in his last three starts. He forfeited the top-10 exemption into Valero to have lens-replacement surgery on both eyes. In the thread of that tweet, the Aussie quipped that he hopes to “see the hole from outside 15 feet now,” but the irony is that, if he’d qualify for official rankings, the 47-year-old would lead the PGA TOUR in conversion percentage outside 25 feet. He’s holed four of 32 attempts from that range. Both of these guys are familiar with TPC Louisiana, and they’re a combined 5-for-5 in the team format.

Odds sourced on Tuesday, April 19 at 3 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

NOTABLES WDs
None.

RECAP – RBC HERITAGE

POWER RANKINGS
Power Ranking Golfer Result
1 Shane Lowry T3
2 Justin Thomas T35
3 Cameron Smith MC
4 Collin Morikawa T26
5 Joaquin Niemann T12
6 Matt Fitzpatrick MC
7 Dustin Johnson MC
8 Daniel Berger T21
9 Corey Conners T12
10 Sungjae Im T21
11 Webb Simpson T59
12 Patrick Cantlay P2
13 Matt Kuchar T3
14 Tyrrell Hatton T26
15 Chris Kirk MC
Wild Card Jordan Spieth Win

SLEEPERS
Golfer (Bet) Result
Nate Lashley (+550 for a Top 20) MC
Alex Noren (+175 for a Top 20) T42
Mito Pereira (+250 for a Top 20) T26
Scott Stallings (+450 for a Top 20) MC
Brendon Todd (+400 for a Top 20) T26

GOLFBET
Bet: Daniel Berger (Top 5), Sungjae Im (Top 10) and Tyrrell Hatton (Top 20) at +10000
Result: Berger (T21), Im (T21), Hatton (T26)

BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR
April 19 … Matt Jones (42)
April 20 … John Senden (51)
April 21 … none
April 22 … Eric Axley (48)
April 23 … none
April 24 … Jason Bohn (49); Lee Westwood (49); Jonas Blixt (38); Carlos Ortiz (31)
April 25 … Nick Watney (41)