2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Team format: foursomes (alternate shot) and four ball (best ball) explained

Rory McIlory and Shane Lowry will be looking to repeat their 2024 victory. McIlroy is competing for the first time since his historic win at the 2025 Masters, which gave him the one major title he needed to complete the career grand slam.

Zurich Classic format explained:

The field consists of 80 teams, each comprising two players. These teams compete throughout the tournament.

Round Formats:

First and Third Rounds (Thursday and Saturday): In four-ball (also known as best-ball), both players on a team play their own ball from tee to hole. The team’s score for each hole is the lower score of the two players. Players will make decisions based on their teammates’ situation. For example if the first player hits the ball into trouble off the tee, the second to play will need to be more conservative and make sure to hit the fairway. Players can be more aggressive with their shots if they know their teammate is in a good position.

Second and Final Rounds (Friday and Sunday): In foursomes (also known as alternate shot), teammates take turns hitting the same ball. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes, and the other on even-numbered holes. They alternate shots until the ball is holed. Strategy also comes into play in this format, but it is a little different as this tournament is not match play so teams don’t need to take decisions based on the the other team they’re paired with.

Cut and Playoff: After the first two rounds, there is a cut to the top 33 teams and ties. if there’s a tie after 72 holes, a sudden-death playoff occurs.

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The first playoff hole is alternate shot. The second playoff hole is four-ball. The rotation continues until a winner is determined. The Zurich Classic’s team format adds excitement and challenges, emphasizing trust and teamwork.

Teams will be competing for a purse of $9.2 million with each team member receiving $1,329,400. There are also 400 FedExCup points for each participant of the winning team.