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Zurich Classic Picks and Betting Preview (How to Bet on PGA Tour's Only Team Event)

By Iain MacMillan

Cameron Smith won the partnered event for the second time in 2021, this time with Marc Leishman.
Cameron Smith won the partnered event for the second time in 2021, this time with Marc Leishman. / Mike Ehrmann/GettyImages
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The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is one of the most unique events on the PGA Tour's schedule.

It's the only team event, and this format has been in place since the 2017 season. The tournament is made up of 80 teams of two. Thursday and Saturday will be best ball, meaning the players will play their own ball and the best score on each hole will be the one that counts. Friday and Sunday will be alternate shot, meaning both golfers will play the same ball, taking alternating shots until the ball is in the hole. One golfer will tee-off on holes with an even number, the other will tee-off on holes with an odds number.

I'll be honest, this is probably my least favorite event to bet on of the season due to partner golf being so much tougher to handicap. With that being said, you can be damn sure I'll still be wagering on it.

Let's take a look at the top 10 odds to win via WynnBET Sportsbook.

Odds to Win the Zurich Classic

  • Cantlay/Schauffele +800
  • Hovland/Morikawa +800
  • Leishman/Smith +900
  • Palmer/Scheffler +1000
  • Burns/Horschel +1100
  • Fleetwood/Garcia +1600
  • Lowry/Poulter +1800
  • Niemann/Pereira +2200
  • Varner/Watson +2500
  • Gooch/Homa +2500

How to Handicap the Zurich Classic

Not only does this being a team event make it difficult from a handicapping perspective, but we've seen this format only four years so far, and there's been no consistent recipes for the winners. Although with that being said, Cameron Smith has won it two of the four times this format existed.

He and Jonas Blixt won it in 2017 at 100/1, Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy won it in 2018 at 40/1, Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm won it in 2019 at 16/1, and finally, Marc Leishman and Smith won it at 12/1.

One thing I know for sure, is that birdies are paramount. Especially in best ball format, bogeys likely aren't going to hurt you as one of the two members of the team are probably going to at least get par. Instead, of both golfers can rack up birdies, they're almost guarnteed to go low.

Birdies, recent form, and being able to play to each other's stengths are key factors this week.

Key Stats for the Zurich Classic

  • Strokes Gained: tee-to-green
  • Ball Striking
  • Birdie or Better Percentage
  • Par 4 Scoring
  • Strokes Gained: Putting

Picks to Win the Zurich Classic

Viktor Hovland/Collin Morikawa +800

This team is an auto-bet. I am thankful that the sportsbooks are overvaluing the likes of Cantlay/Schauffele and Smith/Leishman which allowed us to get this team at a half-decent price.

These are two of the best young golfers on the PGA Tour, it's plain and simple. Also, you want birdies? These guys will give you birdies. They're third and sixth in birdie or better percentage on Tour heading into the event. This is by far the most talented pairing in this event, and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise.

Harold Varner/Bubba Watson +2500

Harold Varner is sneakily having a fantastic season on the PGA Tour. He's coming off a T3 finish at the RBC Heritage, and even more importantly, he ranks 11th on the Tour in birdie average.

Bubba Watson hasn't exactly played his best golf to date, but he's more than comfortable at TPC Louisiana. He won the event back in 2011 before it was a partnered tournament, and he hasn't finished worse than 34th since then. He was eighth here last year when he was partnered with Scottie Scheffler.

Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown +7000

If you want to bet on a team solely due to team chemistry, then Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown is the partnership you're looking for. They're longtime friends, and have been competing as partners every year since it switched to a team format. They've found success at it too, finished top five twice including a runner-up finish in 2017.

Obviously Scott Brown isn't going to be the strongest partner in terms of skill, but there's something to be said for team chemistry, and these two guys got it.

Here's our full video preview of the event.

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