The PGA Tour heads to TPC Louisiana for the Zurich Classic, and our top golf picks are the perfect complement to this week’s tournament and lone team event of the season.
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 of 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 |  |
|---|---|
| Alex Fitzpatrick/Matt Fitzpatrick | +1100 |
| Brooks Koepka/Shane Lowry | +1200 |
| Ryan Gerard/Sudarshan Yellamaraju | +1600 |
| Ben Griffin/Andrew Novak | +1800 |
| Michael Thorbjornsen/Karl Vilips | +1800 |
| Aaron Rai/Sahith Theegala | +2000 |
| Michael Brennan/Johnny Keefer | +2200 |
| Wyndham Clark/Taylor Moore | +2500 |
| Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompson | +2500 |
| Haotong Li/Jordan Smith | +2500 |
| Matt McCarty/Mac Mesissner | +2500 |
Odds as of Monday, April 20 at 6:24 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.
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 4s
- 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/Karl Vilips (+2000)
The Stanford teammates check the chemistry box and finished T4 in their debuts at TPC Louisiana last year.
- Course Fit: T4 here in 2025 confirms Thorbjornsen and Vilips can contend
- Recent Form: Both gained true strokes off the tee and on approach last week
- Key Stat: Played the four-ball rounds at -19 last year.
Risk: 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: 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.
Odds movement & market notes
Considering Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick have each won their most recent events, and combined for three total victories in the past month, it isn’t surprising to see them trading as the betting favorites at the top of the board on BetMGM.
The major championship pedigrees of Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka slot them in with the second-shortest number, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they dipped down and were one of the most popular picks to win this week.
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:
- The tee times for Rounds 1 and 2 will be available on the PGA Tour website Tuesday, April 21.
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 2 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.
