Pin Sheet: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

The only team event on tour

Welcome back to the Pin Sheet. This week will be unconventional, with the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on tap. As the only team event on the PGA Tour calendar, the Zurich doesn’t lend itself to our usual Ideal Player Profile or a Pinseekers list. However, we will still highlight some teams to watch or that we find interesting this week, and give our thoughts on the event.

Checking Our Scorecard

We’ll start by reviewing our Pinseekers from last week to see how they fared at Harbour Town.

If you need a refresher on Strokes Gained (SG) or it’s a new concept to you, check out Tee to Green: Part One.

1. Lucas Glover - T61(-2)

   1. A brutal week for Glover, with a T61 in a 72-man field coming off the heels of a missed cut at Augusta. Despite a decent +0.51 SG: APP, the putter once again let him down, with an SG: PUTT of -1.28 after a -1.05 at the Masters. We’ll keep an eye on Glover to see if he can turn it around on the greens or if he may be someone to avoid as his form fades.

2. Sepp Straka – T13(-10)

   1. Straka rode a pair of weekend 67s to his eighth top-20 finish of the season, marking a nice bounceback from a missed cut at the Masters. He was buoyed by a spectacular +2.52 SG: APP, which helped mask some issues with his short game this weekend. Still a strong result in what’s becoming an excellent season for the Austrian.

3. Bud Cauley – T32(-7)

   1. A Sunday 64 wasn’t enough to get Cauley into the top 20, as a second-round 74 derailed his chances at contention. Nothing stands out in his SG numbers for the week, which matches his middle-of-the-road result.

4. Scottie Scheffler – T8(-12)

   1. Another week, another top-10 for Scottie. The world number one had his usual, well-rounded game en route to his T8, but he’ll wonder what could have been with a double bogey on the par-5 15th Sunday.

5. Patrick Cantlay – T13(-10)

   1. Cantlay picked up his fifth top-20 of the season, but it could have been a more satisfying result for him. He gave up three shots on a three-hole stretch Sunday for a final round 71 that will leave him disappointed by the finish.

6. Collin Morikawa – T54(-3)

   1. Morikawa had a very disappointing week. At 7 under and firmly in the mix going into the back nine on Saturday, he bogeyed 11 before taking a painful quad on 13, where he needed three shots to get out of a bunker, and undid all his work the first two days. A final round 69 wasn’t nearly enough to salvage his week, with an SG: ARG of -1.06 revealing his issues with his wedges.

7. Nick Taylor – T49(-4)

   1. Taylor had a very poor week with his irons. He finished with an SG: APP of -0.71, continuing a very worrying trend that we highlighted in last week’s Pin Sheet. I would avoid him until he shows any signs of turning his ballstriking around.

8. Billy Horschel – T27(-8)

   1. A decent showing for Horschel, with an SG: APP a full +0.3 higher than his season average of +0.27 putting him in the mix for a top-20 finish. However, some poor accuracy off the tee and a rougher week on the greens limited his ceiling this week.

9. Russell Henley – T8(-12)

   1. We mentioned Henley as a player to keep a close eye on in our preview last week, and he repaid that faith with an excellent tournament. An SG: APP of +1.22 and SG: PUTT of +0.59 propelled him to a lofty finish on the back of his first round 64.

10. Aaron Rai – T38(-6)

    1. Rai had a lackluster week, but was really let down by the putter. He finished with an SG: PUTT of -1.04, and an SG: APP below his season average didn’t help his cause either, suggesting he wasn’t as sharp with his irons as we’d expect.

We aim for five top-20s each week, and came up just short at four this time around. Straka, Cantlay, Scheffler, and Henley carried the load, while a few others hovered around the mix, with some letdowns after we had high hopes.

Not a perfect week, but some strong reads and plenty to build on as we look ahead to the CJ Cup. Since we won’t have picks for this week’s event, we’ll do a different style of preview for the Zurich this week before returning to our normal Course Conditions and Pinseekers of the Week.

Changing Course

Even though it’s still an official FedEx Cup event and hands out points to the competing teams(the winning teammates each get 400 FedEx Cup points instead of the usual 500), the Zurich Classic brings a welcome change of pace to the PGA Tour schedule. It's the only team event of the season and leans into the spirit of New Orleans with a laid-back, energetic atmosphere. From walk-up music to post-round concerts, the Zurich embraces fun like few other events on tour.

The key difference is the format: two rounds of best ball (Thursday and Saturday) and two rounds of alternate shot (Friday and Sunday). Best ball allows each player to play their own ball, with the lower score counting for the team on each hole. Alternate shot, on the other hand, is more demanding: teammates alternate strokes, navigating the course as a single unit. It’s strategic, it’s chaotic, and it makes for a unique style of golf that fans rarely see outside the Ryder and Presidents Cups.

It’s also a rare event where the vibes matter as much as the stats. Chemistry, teamwork, and swagger take center stage. That makes this a tricky one to model, but a fun one to watch.

Best Ball

With the only team event of the year on deck, we’re highlighting a few teams we’re looking forward to watching. Whether it’s because of an intriguing narrative, high-octane play, or the vibes, these teams stand out in the Big Easy.

1. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry

   1. The defending champs return, with McIlroy riding high after finally completing the career grand slam at Augusta and Lowry coming off his sixth top 20 finish in nine starts this season. They were a dynamic duo last year and promise more of the same this year, both in chemistry and on the course. Rory ranks first in total strokes gained, while Lowry slots into eighth, making Team Ireland a clear favorite. Vibes: 9/10

2. Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick

   1. The Fitzpatrick brothers are here for the family angle. However, they haven’t been playing great golf individually this year, with Matt ranking 96th on the PGA Tour and Alex ranking 94th on the DP World Tour in strokes gained. They’ll be hoping sibling chemistry carries the day in New Orleans. Vibes: 5.5/10

3. Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala

   1. This is an interesting blend of styles, as Rai’s more methodical game meets Theegala’s aggressive golf. On paper, it’s a great match for best ball, with Rai holding down the fort and Theegala making any score a possibility(including a quad). Alternate shot, however, will be the true test for these two. Vibes: 7/10

4. Karl Vilips and Michael Thorbjornsen

   1. The former Stanford teammates and collegiate co-stars reunite at the Zurich in a pairing that should produce fireworks. Vilips already has a win in his first season on the PGA Tour, emerging victorious in Puerto Rico, while Thorbjornsen is coming off a T2 in Punta Cana. Both just 23, the young standouts promise some exciting golf this week. Vibes: 8/10

5. Nicolai Højgaard and Rasmus Højgaard

   1. Another set of brothers, but this time they’re identical twins. Like the Fitzpatricks, neither is having a great year on tour, but they’re hoping to turn it around together. Vibes: 6.5/10

6. Joel Dahmen and Harry Higgs

   1. This is “the people’s team”. With Dahmen’s star turn on Full Swing and Higgs’ everyman personality and fan-favorite status after his escapades on 16 at the Waste Management Open in 2022, it’s safe to say these two will have a lot of fans in New Orleans this week. Vibes: 10/10

Finishing Out

The Zurich Classic adds some Cajun spice to the PGA Tour season. It’s not the kind of week we build models around or generate Pinseekers for, but it is a great watch and a fun reminder that golf doesn’t always have to fit inside the usual lines.

We’ll be keeping tabs on some of the duos we mentioned above, but mostly, we’re just here to enjoy the change of pace. After this, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming, and next up is the CJ Cup, where we’ll return with our usual breakdowns, player profiles, and a fresh list of Pinseekers.

Until then, enjoy the team golf, the music, and the vibes in New Orleans. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next week.