Zurich Classic: PGA Best Bets, Predictions, Past Results, and Course Info

The PGA Tour takes a bit of a detour this week for the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.

The Zurich Classic is a team event, the only one on the PGA Tour's calendar year.

Here's all you need to know.

All golf odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Zurich Classic Event Info
TPC Louisiana Course Info

Data from GCSAA, PGA Tour, and data golf's course table unless otherwise noted.

• Par: 72
• Distance: 7,425 yards (long)
• Average Fairway Width: 34.7 yards (average)
• Average Green Size: 5,225 square feet (small)
• Green Type: Poa overseed
• Stimpmeter: N/A
• Recent Winning Scores: -25, -30, -29, -20, -26

TPC Louisiana Course Key Stats

• Total Strokes Gained (Team Average)
• Birdie or Better Rate
• Driving Distance
• Team Chemistry (Subjective)

Let's start with the team format. Here is the day-by-day breakdown of how the Zurich Classic operates:

• Thursday: Four-ball (a.k.a. best ball)
• Friday: Foursomes (a.k.a. alternate shot)
• Saturday: Four-ball (a.k.a. best ball)
• Sunday: Foursomes (a.k.a. alternate shot)

Now let's talk about the course.

A long par 72 with small greens and a lot of bunkers isn't enough to keep the scoring low in this team format. Winning scores have been at least -20 since this became a team event in 2017, and the winning score has averaged -25.6 in this span.

You may see some 63s in alternate shot (there have been three in history -- all since 2023), and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay carded a best-ball 59 in 2022's opening round.

Without ShotLink data and with a team format, it's hard to get too certain about the stats, but average team strength hasn't been the worst predictor of success in the past.

And as far as team chemistry goes, it's not a bad thing to have, but it's also quite common to see first-time tandems play well. Seven teams finished 10th or better last year made their first start.

Zurich Classic Past Results

The following teams have played the Zurich together over the last five iterations.

Zurich Classic Best Bets

These picks stand out relative to their FanDuel Sportsbook golf betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats cited below originate at datagolf and reference ranks relative to the field over the past 50 rounds unless otherwise noted.

Aaron Rai & Sahith Theegala

• Odds To Win Zurich Classic (+2500)
• To Finish Top 10 (+230)

Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala are debuting as a duo in this year's Zurich Classic, and while Theegala's current form isn't ideal, it's not terrible -- and Rai's striping it of late.

Over each golfer's last 50 rounds, Rai ranks 10th in the field strokes gained: tee to green, per datagolf, and Theegala is 58th. As a team average, they're 11th-best in strokes gained: T2G in that span.

Theegala's putting should help elevate Rai's T2G game, as well.

My win simulation model pegs them as a value at +2500, and there's enough in the stats to agree.

Billy Horschel & Tom Hoge

• Odds To Win Zurich Classic (+2800)
• To Finish Top 10 (+270)

Only four teams rank top-20 in average SG:T2G and SG:Putting over every golfer's last 50 rounds.

You can probably guess that Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge are one of those teams.

Billy Horschel's recent tee to green game is just okay (60th), but we can probably apply some extra love to Billy, whose TGL team -- the Atlanta Drive -- won the inaugural championship. So, he's got some extra team reps in tank of late.

As for Hoge, he is 6th in approach and 25th in putting the last 50 rounds among this field, a good recipe for birdie chances and conversions.

Ryan Gerard & Danny Walker

• Odds To Win Zurich Classic (+5500)
• To Finish Top 10 (+450)
• To Finish Top 20 (+190)

Remember that bit about there being only four teams top-20 in both average SG:T2G and SG:Putting the last 50 rounds? Gerard and Walker (+5500) join McIlroy and Lowry (+360), Clark and Moore (+2200), and Horschel and Hoge (+2800) on that list.

Gerard is the stronger player of late, ranking top-13 in approach and putting, but Walker brings some added distance and still-good irons (31st). This team has the recipe to make a run this week, given their individual ceilings on paper in recent rounds.

Doug Ghim & Chan Kim

• Odds To Win Zurich Classic (+5500)
• To Finish Top 20 (+160)

This duo will need to make some putts for sure, but their tee-to-green game puts them 11th in the field, and while it's mostly driven by Ghim (11th), Kim (51st) is 26th in approach and 37th around the green -- just 126th off the tee.

This tandem drives the ball similar distances and with similar accuracy. They're both just outside the top-100 in strokes gained: putting.

Getting extra chances in two rounds for birdies is interesting for such a good T2G team.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.