After two phenomenal weeks that had the golf world's full attention, we now head to the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the only team event on the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are back after a playoff victory a year ago and are the heavy favorites to win at TPC Louisiana (+360). However, this is an often-strange event that can be incredibly difficult to handicap.
Let's be honest, a weak field at a course such as this feels like a bit of a letdown coming after The Masters and RBC Heritage, both of which ended in thrilling playoff finishes with elite champions. Having said that, this is still an opportunity for us to try and make a little scratch. Having said that, it's also one of the hardest weeks on the PGA Tour to handicap given the four-ball and alternate shot formats and how unpredictable they can be.
Because of that difficulty, we're dialing back a bit of our exposure this week but still trying to attack at some relatively aggressive numbers. With that, let's dive into our PGA Tour expert picks for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a winner prediction, Top 10 pick and much more.
Golf betting record in 2025: 14-52-0, +39.785 Units (+/-0 Units at RBC Heritage) | One and Done Total for 2025: $10,184,156 (Russell Henley at RBC Heritage, $580,000)
Note: All lines are courtesy of BetMGM. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. All bets are 1 unit unless otherwise noted. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Zurich Classic golf picks to Win, finish Top 10 and One and Done
Pick to win the Zurich Classic: Max Greyserman/Nico Echavarria, 0.5 Units (+3300, FanDuel)
The form hasn't been particularly great overall from Max Greyserman or Nico Echavarria, particularly with some sustained dips in ball-striking. However, both players have been putting red-hot of late and have great recent history at the Zurich, finishing inside the Top 5 a year ago. Good feels around a golf course can do absolute wonders for players' form and it seems these two, especially if they keep rolling the rock like they have been, could be in line for that type of performance.
Top 10 pick for the Zurich Classic: Ryan Gerard/Danny Walker (+450)
Danny Walker has been the more inconsistent player in this team, finishing T6 at THE PLAYERS, missing three straight cuts, but then finding a T31 at Corales last week. Ryan Gerard, meanwhile, has been pretty scorching. He was only T27 his last time out, but that was at the loaded RBC Heritage, while also finishing runner-up at Valero. However, this might be the best cumulative team outside of the favorites in terms of ball-striking right now with both gaining more than 0.5 strokes on approach per round in the last 24 and also putting solidly. That puts a Top 10 well within their reach this week.
One and done pick for the Zurich Classic: Max Greyserman/Nico Echavarria
It's the Zurich, man. We're definitely not burning any big names here, especially since our rules dictate we have to take both golfers this week in One and Done. So we'll ride again with our outright pick and hope our feel for Greyserman and Echavarria is well-founded.
Sleeper picks to watch at the Zurich Classic
Isaiah Salinda/Kevin Velo to finish Top 20, 0.5 Units (+350)
Put simply, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo have already flashed a ton of talent as newer names on the PGA Tour. Salinda was 11th in Houston not too long ago while Velo doesn't have those types of finishes but has flashed for spans of tournaments, even if he hasn't got it home. At a tournament like the Zurich Classic, though, I'm going to look for guys from the Korn Ferry Tour who know how to rack up a ton of birdies and these two fit that bill. I don't think they have the consistency to win, but they have the incubator trait to heat up for a bit and get into the Top 20.
Ben Silverman/Sami Valimaki to Win, 0.1 Units (+10000)
We're largely just hoping that Ben Silverman can find some of the form he showed last year and bring it to what Sami Valimaki, arguably the hottest approach player in the field over the last couple months, has been doing of late. Silverman has missed six straight cuts on the PGA Tour after finishing Top 20 in Phoenix. When you get into the deep sleeper range this week, though, there isn't a plethora of options, and Valimaki is playing too well right now to fully overlook him in this pairing.