Scottie Scheffler has been on a generational run of golf recently, winning in four of his last five starts, including last week at the RBC Heritage. However, Scheffler isn’t in the field this week, meaning it’s wide open for anyone to win. The Zurich Classic takes on a different tournament format compared to others, pairing up golfers into teams and playing together. Let’s take a look at this week’s top pairings, sleepers and a possible underperformer at the always-fun Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 

Sahith Theegala & Will Zalatoris

This pairing might have the most name value of any team in the field. Theegala has three top-five finishes in his last five starts, including a solo second-place finish at the RBC Heritage and sixth and ninth place finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players. Theegala ranks fourth in total strokes gained this year, equating to sitting at fourth place in the FedExCup Standings. He finished at No. 23 on the leaderboard last year, playing with Justin Suh. With a better playing partner, they could be in for a good finish.

That better playing partner is Will Zalatoris, who came onto the golf scene a couple of years ago at The Masters. Since, it’s been an uphill battle. He missed the majority of the 2023 season after a back surgery, but has now battled back and has made nine starts so far. He also has three top-five finishes this season with the most notable coming at The Genesis Invitational. Everyone knows how far Zalatoris can hit the ball and that his ball-striking is pretty darn good. If he can be somewhat efficient on the putting greens with Theegala, you might have to watch out for these two. 

Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry

This infamous Ryder Cup pairing should be fun to watch this week, regardless of their end result. McIlroy has been in the spotlight for what seems like the majority of the last season or two, which has not helped his ability to win tournaments. His best finish of the season came at the Valero Texas Open, finishing in solo third place. McIlroy is certainly capable of winning tournaments, but his streaky iron play and middle-of-the-pack putting has not helped that cause. 

Lowry has only won twice on the PGA Tour, but he still seems like a staple and fan favorite. His best finish of the season came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, also claiming the solo third place spot. Lowry has been the third best golfer on tour when it comes to approach shots this season, which could make up for McIlroy’s struggles in that area. They have chemistry and are friends off the course, which also could help their chances. The name value is high here as well, and fans will be expecting a top finish from these two Irishmen.

Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele

I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t pick Schauffele to be a contender. He seems to let me down a lot, but it seems as if every tournament he plays, he can win. This is one of the most notorious duos in all of golf at the moment, as they won the 2022 edition of this event by two shots. They are an exciting pair and will more than have a good finish, but their performance together at the last Ryder Cup raised some concerns. 

There isn’t much more I can say about Schauffele that I have not already. He has seven top-ten finishes so far this season and is coming off a tie at 18th place this past weekend. He’s still one of the tour’s premier ball-strikers and has been dominant off the tee this season, ranking eighth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. His work around the greens has not been as efficient, but that’s what a teammate is for. 

Cantlay is known for his putting and silky-smooth golf swing, and that’s exactly what I expect him to bring this week. He does not have the results to show for it this season, only boasting two top-five finishes, with his best last weekend in a tie for third. He hasn’t excelled in anything so far, dating back to the Ryder Cup. This pairing will always be a favorite coming into this tournament, but they don’t have the same momentum that they may have had in the past. 

Sleepers

One pairing I really like is Sepp Straka and Brice Garnett. Straka has emerged as one of the better players on tour, consistently finishing in the top-30 or higher. He played really well until the final day (and Monday) at the RBC Heritage, eventually falling and finishing in the twelfth place spot. He was seventh in strokes gained: putting and eighth in strokes gained: approaches, even though he finished outside of the top ten. Garnett seems to be a nice compliment to Straka. He isn’t the longest hitter and is accurate with his irons and wedges, but also is precise around the greens. He has one win from earlier in the year at the Puerto Rico Open.

Billy Horschel picked up a much-needed win last weekend at the Corales Puntacana Championship, firing an impressive nine-under round to vault over Wesley Bryan into the lead. If he carries that momentum, I would expect him to find the top of the leaderboard. His partner, Tyson Alexander, has not had the same luck so far this year. His best finish has been a tie at 14th place at the Valero Texas Open, missing four cuts in the process. This is a shot in the dark because more than likely, Horschel will have to do most of the heavy lifting. It might be too much of an ask, but it is certainly possible. 

Stay Away From….

Alex Fitzpatrick probably gained some fans after the most recent season of Netflix’s Full Swing. He is the younger brother of playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick. Last season, they teed it up together, looking to get Alex a two-year PGA Tour Exemption. They finished in a tie at 19th place, which was not the result they were hoping for. They appear to be one of the more-favored groups, but I don’t think Matthew’s younger brother will be good enough to put them in the winners circle. 

Final Prediction

I’m going to point my finger at Zalatoris and Theegala to ultimately end up winning this one. Theegala has been hot and Zalatoris is more than capable of playing like a top-ten player in the world. I don’t think the stars have to align for them to win, because they are good enough to contend without playing perfectly. The mix of distance off the tee and ball striking intrigues me, so I’m going to call my shot with these two.