Who is playing in the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans? Field, top players and predictions

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a professional golf tournament part of the PGA Tour. It is held annually at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, a suburb southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana. The tournament was first played 85 years ago, in 1938, and has been held yearly since 1958. Typically, the tournament is held during the early to mid-spring months.

This distinctive and enjoyable competition brings together elite golfers who form teams and compete in foursome play for an event-record purse of $8.6 million this year. Apart from the on-course action, the Zurich Classic contributes significantly to charitable causes in New Orleans, raising millions of dollars. Zurich has been sponsoring the Classic since 2005 and is excited about hosting another exceptional event.

GOLF:

In golf, a foursome is a game where two teams of two golfers compete against each other. Each team member takes turns hitting the same ball, with one teammate hitting the ball on even-numbered holes and the other hitting the ball on odd-numbered holes. The teammates alternate hitting shots until the ball is holed. Foursomes can be played in two formats - stroke play, where the total number of strokes is counted for each hole and added up at the end of the round, or match play, where the team with the lowest score on each hole wins the hole, and the team that wins the most holes wins the match.

2023 Zurich Classic top players

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 tournament winners, will team up again for this year’s event. Despite being the defending champions, neither of the two golfers has managed to secure a victory in the 2022-23 season, proving how challenging it is to win on tour. However, it is worth noting that both golfers have been performing exceptionally well, as evidenced by their recent finishes - Patrick Cantlay secured third place at Harbour Town. In contrast, Xander Schauffele finished in fourth place.

Collin Morikawa will team up with Max Homa, while Sam Burns and Billy Horschel, the runners-up from last year, will also play together. In addition, Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the RBC tournament last week, will play alongside his brother Alex; the younger of the two brothers will make his debut as a professional golfer on the PGA TOUR, while Matt Fitzpatrick will be looking to continue his winning momentum after his recent victory at Harbour Town. This place holds a special significance for their family. Their emotional bond transcends numbers and statistics, making it a captivating and compelling story.

Tom Kim and Si-Woo Kim will also form a team for the tournament.

2023 Zurich Classic predictions

TPC Louisiana is a par-72 golf course that measures 7,425 yards in length. The “bermuda” greens have been overseeded and are ready to roll at 12 feet, and the rough is only two inches deep and is playable for the time of year without being overseeded. The greens are relatively small, meaning precision on approach shots and distance control are crucial skills that will help identify the top contenders in the tournament.

While the defending champions, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, hold the 72-hole scoring record of 29-under 259, it is not impervious to be surpassed by the competitors in this year’s tournament.

The first round, which employs the better ball format, will see the entire field racing to make its mark on the leaderboard.

2023 Zurich Classic field

Golf teams