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Zurich Classic of New Orleans PGA Betting Guide (2021)

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Stewart Cink (+15000) fired back-to-back opening rounds of 63 at the RBC Heritage to help take home his eighth career PGA Tour title. The 47-year-old was coming into the event fresh off a T12 at the Masters and kept the momentum going at Harbour Town. Cink joins Bryson DeChambeau as the only player on Tour with two victories on the season.

The PGA Tour heads to TPC Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This is not a normal stroke play event, as 80 teams of two golfers will compete for the title. The top 35 teams and ties will make the cut and advance to the weekend. Each team will be playing a best-ball format in the first and third rounds, while the second and fourth will be alternate shots.

Defending champion of the event, Jon Rahm, will tee it up alongside Ryan Palmer. Rahm is coming off of a T3 at the Masters and will look to stay in good form ahead of the PGA Championship. President Cup teammates Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will be no easy match as they have equal odds atop the betting board. College rivals Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff will be a fun team to watch this week while Cam Smith and Marc Leishman are playing some exceptional golf.

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Previous Winners

  • 2019: Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer
  • 2018: Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy
  • 2017: Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt

Course Preview

TPC Louisiana in New Orleans is a Pete Dye design that will play as a Par 72 and measures around 7,400 yards. As per any Pete Dye design, accuracy off the tee is crucial to avoid the many water hazards in play. Players will see numerous long approach shots and plenty of dog logs. Fast Bermuda greens will challenge the golfers on all facets.

Relevant Betting Stats

  • Ball-Striking
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-green
  • Strokes Gained: Approach
  • Birdie-or-Better

Outright Betting Picks

Cameron Smith/Marc Leishman (+1200 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Both Aussies come into this event playing some great golf. Smith turned in six consecutive top-30 performances with high finishes of fourth (Genesis), T10 (Masters), and T9 last week at the RBC Heritage.  He won this event back in 2017, and all things point toward another strong week. His partner Leishman is coming off of a T5 at the Masters and has great long irons, which will come in handy here.

Sam Burns/Billy Horschel (+2500 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
This is an enjoyable partnership as it features two very different types of golfers, but their skills will complement each other well. Horschel has a solid track record at Pete Dye designs as he is a very accurate driver of the golf ball and gives himself plenty of birdie chances. He is coming off a T25 at the RBC Heritage and won a few weeks ago at the WGC Match Play. “Bermuda” Burns is very long off the tee and is an excellent putter on fast greens. He played well last week with a 39th place finish.

Mid-Range Betting Picks

Viktor Hovland/Kristoff Ventura (+4000 on DraftKings Sportsbook) 
This Norweigan tandem is an intriguing one. Hovland is a world-class player who ranks fifth in strokes gained: off-the-tee and 11th in strokes gained: tee-to-green this season. He already has four top-10 finishes this year, including a win at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Ventura is an excellent putter, as he ranks 10th in strokes gained: putting in 2021. He will help Hovland on the greens and also is excellent in proximity with his long irons.

Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson (+4000 on DraftKings Sportsbook)   
This Euro partnership features two former top-10 ranked golfers in the world that appear to be regaining some form. Rose was the first-round leader at the Masters a few weeks ago, while Stenson posted a respectable T38 finish. Rose won at TPC Lousiana back in 2015 when this tournament was in a singles format. He is an elite Pete Dye golfer who is the sixth-best player on these designs since 2014.

Event Plays

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