The Zurich Classic of New Orleans resumes its usual spot on the PGA calendar this weekend following last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic.
After most have spent the first half of their season contesting stroke-play events, this weekend will feature 160 players divided into pairings of two, with the second and fourth rounds contested under alternate shot rules, and the first and third rounds under best ball format.
Defending champs Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm headline the top of the betting, while Aussies Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman have been installed as $11.00 second-elects.
TPC Louisiana has undergone a facelift since this tournament was last played in 2019, but it’s still safe to say ball-striking and a consistent short game is paramount.
To help you find a winner ahead of this year’s Zurich Classic, be sure to read our entire preview below.
2021 Zurich Classic Best Bet
Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay at $7.50
TPC Louisiana is far from a bombers paradise, so you’d do well to pick out some guys that can not only find the fairway’s on a consistent basis, but also strike the ball with precision around the greens.
Aside from finding the water in the final round at Augusta two weeks ago, Schauffele has been almost flawless in that department this year ranking 27th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green.
Cantlay, on the other hand, ranks seventh in the same category, while both also fall inside the Top 15 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.
It’s also worth noting this is Cantlay’s fourth appearance at this event after contesting the last three with Patrick Reed.
The pair missed the cut two years ago, but it’s fair to say Schauffele is a good, if not better replacement.
2021 Zurich Classic Best Value
Ryan Palmer at $26.00
Sticking with the theme of finding consistent ball-strikers, we turn to Talor Gooch and Max Homa at 26-1 as our best value play in the market.
Homa missed the cut at Augusta two weeks ago, but he has finished Top 25 in three of his last five events since winning The Genesis Invitational earlier in February.
Gooch, meanwhile, brings plenty of upside to this pairing after enjoying a few weeks off following the Match Play event earlier in the month.
The 29-year-old roared come to finish T5 at TPC Sawgrass last month with a final round 67, while he’s also been one of the most consistent guys on TOUR with the putter.
2021 Zurich Classic Best Roughie
Cameron Tringale & Roberto Castro at $41.00
Pretty good odds here for a couple of guys that finished T5 at this tournament two years ago.
The former Georgia Tech teammates have gone on different paths since then, but both have shown decent form of late to suggest they are worth a small wager at 41-1.
Tringale finished T13 at The Honda Classic last month before going one better for a T9 finish at the Texas Open, while Castro has made the cut in his last two appearances at the Puero Rico Open and Corales.
Experience and chemistry can go a long way at events like these, so I like the pairing of Triangle and Castro to pick up where they left off in 2019.
