Photo By – Reuters Connect. PGA Tour golfer Karl Vilips hits his second shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hallow.
The PGA Tour hits TPC Louisiana for the Zurich Classic, and our top golf picks are the perfect complement to the lone team event on the calendar.Â
This is one of the weakest fields in recent years following the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event in consecutive weeks, so the headliners are last week’s winner Matt Fitzpatrick and brother Alex, defending champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, and the newly formed team and betting favorites Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.
⛳ Zurich Classic: Key takeaways
- Best early bet: Michael Thorbjornse/Karl Vilips to win (+2000) – Former Stanford teammates checked the chemistry box with T4 here last year.
- Best early value: Blades Brown/Luke Clanton to win (+6600) – If these kids catch fire, the birdie train might never leave the tracks.
- Course: TPC Louisiana is a 7,425-yard, Pete Dye-designed Par 72 that features reachable Par 5s and short Par 4s that pave the way to plenty of birdies for teams capable of navigating both the four-ball and foursomes formats.
- Weather: The weather for the 2026 Zurich Classic is expected to be warm and begin with mainly sunny skies on Thursday before scattered thunderstorms become a threat for the Friday and Saturday rounds.
- Expected cut: The Zurich Classic of New Orleans features a 36-hole cut with the Top 33 teams and ties advancing following Round 2 on Friday.
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Zurich Classic results and opening odds
The Zurich Classic runs from April 23-26 at TPC Louisiana. Below are the latest outright odds, followed by the picks and market-by-market best bets we like this week.
| Golfer |  |
|---|---|
| Brooks Koepka/Shane Lowry | +1000 |
| Alex Fitzpatrick/Matt Fitzpatrick | +1100 |
| Ryan Gerard/Sudarshan Yellamaraju | +1600 |
| Michael Thorbjornsen/Karl Vilips | +1600 |
| Ben Griffin/Andrew Novak | +1800 |
| Aaron Rai/Sahith Theegala | +2000 |
| Michael Brennan/Johnny Keefer | +2200 |
| Marco Penge/Matt Wallace | +2200 |
| Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompson | +2500 |
| Haotong Li/Jordan Smith | +2500 |
| Wyndham Clark/Taylor Moore | +2500 |
Odds as of Wednesday, April 22 at 1:40 p.m. ET.
Check out the full Zurich Classic field.
Best bets card
Outright: Michael Thorbjornsen/Karl Vilips to win (+2000): Finished T4 in 2025 Zurich debut, and the former Stanford teammates have solid ball-striking metrics leading in.
Outright: Blades Brown/Luke Clanton to win (+6600): This is a team long on talent, and the youngsters could thrive in this team format given their undeniable birdie-making ability.
Top 20: Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompton (+100):Â PGA Tour winners coming off excellent tee-to-green play during their individual Top 20s in the Valero.
Top 20: Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer (+120): Smalley is playing consistent well-rounded golf, and Springer has the potential to put plenty of birdies on the card.
72-hole matchup: Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompson Over Max McGreevy/Kevin Roy (-118): Roy has never made the cut in this event, and McGreevy is just 1-for-3.
Course breakdown: What wins at TPC Louisiana?
TPC Louisiana is a Pete Dye design that first hosted the Zurich Classic in 2005. It’s a traditional, 7,425-yard Par 72 with four Par 5s and four Par 3s, and birdies came in bunches even before the tournament became a team event.
All four of the Par 5s are reachable in two for the majority of the field, and there are also five Par 4s at 403 yards or less. These scoring opportunities are offset by the Par 3s all stretching out over 200 yards, but make no mistake, the highest winning score in the team event was -20 in 2021 by Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith. Additionally, Justin Rose fired a -22 to set the individual tournament record in 2015.
Each team plays a four-ball (also known as best ball) in the first and third rounds, and foursomes (alternate shot) for the second and fourth rounds. As a result, it’s far from your typical event, and I’m approaching it with less of a statistical focus.
Still, I’m looking for solid tee-to-green and approach play, in addition to players who can string together birdies. Additionally, the team aspect can’t be ignored, and a proven track record at the event definitely carries value because of the unique format.
- Reachable Par 5s and short Par 4sÂ
- Long Par 3s
- Pete Dye quirks
- Smaller green complexes with runoffs and protective bunkers
Key stats & player profiles to target
- Strokes gained tee-to-green
- Strokes gained approach
- Birdie average
- Adjusted scoring average
- Team chemistry
Outright picks: winners to bet
Pick 1: Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips (+2000)
The Stanford teammates check the chemistry box and finished T4 in their debuts at TPC Louisiana last year.
- Course Fit:Â T4 here in 2025 confirms Thorbjornsen and Vilips can contend
- Recent Form:Â Both gained true strokes off the tee and on approach last week
- Key Stat: Played the four-ball rounds at -19 last year.
Risk:Â Combined for zero Top 20s across their past two events.
Pick 2: Blades Brown and Luke Clanton to win (+6600)
Blades Brown and Luke Clanton are two of the most talented young players on the planet, and this format could be the perfect setup for them to feed off one another and put a pile of circles on the card.
- Course Fit: These two should both be able to overpower this track
- Recent Form:Â Brown is putting it together on the Korn Ferry Tour, while Clanton is still adjusting to Pro ranks.
- Key Stat: Both finished Top 5 in Puerto Rico in a similar watered-down field
Risk: Neither Brown or Clanton have a PGA Tour win.
Best Top 20 bets
Pick 1: Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson to finish Top 20 (+100)
While it’s been a bit of a slow start to the 2026 season for Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson, the duo just respectively finished T10 and T14 on the heels of solid ball-striking in the Valero and have each won on the PGA Tour.
- Course Fit: Third time participating in the team event for both and each played the weekend in 2024
- Recent Form: Both Top 10 in true strokes tee-to-green in Valero
- Key Stat: Three PGA Tour wins between Eckroat and Thompson
Risk: Each have started slowly this season, and they’re first time partners in this event.
Pick 2: Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer to finish Top 20 (+120)
Alex Smalley is playing excellent golf with four Top 25s across his past eight events while playing the weekend in each, so while Hayden Springer is playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, this is still a sneaky duo because Springer can go low.
- Course Fit: Smalley’s current form travels, and Springer was T18 here in 2025
- Recent Form: Smalley ranks eighth in this field in true strokes gained tee-to-green over his past eight events
- Key Stat: Springer was 19th in birdie average on the PGA Tour in 2025
Risk: This is the first time these two have partnered in this event.
Head-to-head bet
Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson Over Max McGreevy and Kevin Roy (-118)
The Austin Eckroat-Davis Thompson team is one of my favorite sleepers to win, and while the Max McGreevy-Kevin Roy tandem has some potential, I don’t see the consistency throughout the bag for either of them to take a serious run at contending as a team.
- Matchup Advantage: Combined tee-to-green form of Eckroat-Thompson
- Key Stat: Roy has never made the cut in this event, and McGreevy is 1-for-3
Risk: McGreevy and Roy could ham-and-egg it to go low in four-ball rounds.
Round 1 Head-to-head bet
Adam Hadwin and Adam Svensson Over Greyson Sigg and Vince Whaley (-105)
Adam Hadwin has a long history of success in this event, and countryman Adam Svensson shot 61 in the opening round with Cam Davis last year. So, I’m expecting the Canadians with better PGA Tour resumes to have the team chemistry to top Greyson Sigg and Vince Whaley on Thursday.
- Matchup Advantage: PGA Tour and Zurich experience favors Canadians
- Key Stat: Hadwin is on a 2nd-10th-T12 run in this event
Risk: Hadwin and Svensson aren’t in top form.
Odds movement & market notes
As expected the Brooks Koepka-Shane Lowry team carries the largest liability at BetMGM leading into Round 1. However, it’s Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick carrying the highest ticket percentage and betting handle at the shop.Â
Youngsters Michael Brennan and Johnny Keefer have seen their opening +3300 odds drop all the way to +2200, while Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips (+2000 to +1600), and Englishmen Marco Penge and Matt Wallace (+2500 to +2200) have also seen their prices drop leading into Round 1 on Thursday.
How to watch & tee times (quick links)
How to watch:
- Thursday-Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
- Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
Tee times:
Zurich Classic betting FAQ
When is the 2026 Zurich Classic?
The 2026 edition of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be played from Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26.
Where will the 2026 Zurich Classic be played?
The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be played at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana.
What is the format of the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans?
The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a team event with a four-ball format in Rounds 1 and 3 and a foursome format in Rounds 2 and 4.
Who is the 2026 Zurich Classic favorite?
The betting favorites to win the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans are the teams of Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry at BetMGM.
What are the Zurich Classic of New Orleans FRL markets?
First Round Leader (FRL) markets center around which team(s) will be in the lead following the first 18 holes of the tournament.
How do Zurich Classic of New Orleans matchup bets work?
When betting Zurich Classic of New Orleans matchups, you’re selecting which team will score better between the two teams listed in that specific market. There are 18-hole, single-round matchups, in addition to tournament-long, 72-hole matchups.
What is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans cut line?
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans features a 36-hole cut with the Top 33 teams & ties advancing following Round 2 on Friday.
Are Zurich Classic of New Orleans odds the same across all sportsbooks?
You’ll see slight variations in odds across sportsbooks for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans; it’s always good practice to check multiple sports betting sites for the best odds.