Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

In case you forgot…..TIGER WOODS WON THE MASTERS.

OK, now that we got that out of the way, it’s time to focus on this week’s Tour stop. This week, the Tour heads to New Orleans for the season’s only team event. Here’s who we like this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Here’s a look at how we’re doing overall this season.

(2019 – 13 Events) Correct Incorrect
Shamburger 2 11
Hauser 1 12
Two Inches Short *2 9
Bridget Whelan 0 1

We clearly aren’t experts.

* Two Inches Short won our braket challenge even though he didn’t pick the WGC-Match Play winner.

Dan Hauser (@DanHauserGolf)

In what could very well be an early preview of a Presidents Cup pairing, I’m taking the Australian team of Jason Day and Adam Scott this week.

While picking a winner of a team competition can be a crap shoot because of the format, Scott and Day both come into this event playing good golf as of late. Both recorded top 20 finishes at Augusta and have a combined 8 top 10 finishes this season.

Sure, neither of them actually have a win yet this season, but what better time to get that first win of the season in a likely Presidents Cup tune-up.

Two Inches Short (@TwoInchesShort)

It’s Zurich week in New Orleans which means two things. It’s a team play format and public consumption is totally legal.

On the heels of another strong week, until DJ ejected down the stretch, we look to rebound with the familiar duo of Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown.

The boys from Aiken, South Carolina can ham and egg it with the best of them and have had success in this 2-year-old format at TPC Louisiana. In 2017 they lost in a playoff and last year they led outright after 54 holes, although they finished T15.

Kisner already won the Dell-Match Play back in March and has a chance to capture his 2nd non-stroke play event before May. We’re not sure but we think that could be a record. As for Brown, he’s posted 3 top-10s this year, with his best, a T7, a couple of weeks ago at the Valero Texas Open.

Teams to watch:

Furyk/Duval – Furyk has been turning back the clock as of late. Can Duval regain his world no.1 form from 20+ years ago? If so, look out.

Dufner/Perez – These two are always entertaining to watch on or off the golf course.

Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1)

I was going to pick Horschel and Piercy, then I decided I’d pick Blixt and Smith and then decided against that as well.

I’ll take the guy who is red-hot and just finished T2 at Augusta and his brother.

Brooks didn’t make the cut in 2018 at the Zurich Classic while playing alongside Marc Turnesa, he did finish T5 in 2017 alongside his brother Chase, who is back for another run at a PGA Tour win.

Why pick anyone else? These two have already proven they can compete at TPC Avondale and Brooks’ results speak for themselves this season even if Chase hasn’t finished higher than T28 in his last 27 events on the European Tour.

I’d give you more teams to watch, but honestly, you’re probably better off going with one of the two duos listed above my picks this week.

Author: Dan Hauser

Dan is the co-founder of The Stiff Shaft and the website's Senior Writer. A South Florida native, Dan has been covering golf since 2013 and playing it his entire life. He is still waiting for his first hole-in-one.