Zurich Classic Preview
The PGA Tour is spicing things up this week with the Zurich Classic — the only team event of the season.
Rounds one and three will function in a four-ball format where players play their own ball and use whichever score is better.
Switching it up for rounds two and four is foursome play with alternate shot competition; one player tees off the odd holes and the other the evens and they switch shots from tee to green.
Even though several of the top names opted out of the Zurich Classic considering it’s a non-elevated event, some stars still remain in the field to compete in teams of two.
Reigning champions, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay pose the biggest threat considering they are the highest-ranked players on the field.
Last week, they both placed in the top four and have appeared consistent as of late.
Collin Morikawa and Max Homa is another top-rated duo that has a great personality mix as well as skill set.
Even though Homa hasn’t been finishing as well as he did during the California events, being paired with Morikawa allows him to feed off his teammate’s energy and momentum.
A team event like this can relieve some of the internal pressure and stress that’s present during normal weeks on the PGA Tour played in a stroke play format.
Consistency appears effortless for Morikawa because of his precision — that could be a key to what makes this team climb the leaderboard early.
Last week’s winner at the RBC Heritage, Matt Fitzpatrick, is teeing it up with his brother, Alex Fitzpatrick, for the week.
Stealth is an advantage that Sahith Theegala and Justin Suh have on their side.
Theegala, in only his second year on the PGA Tour, has several top-10 finishes this season. He was another player that shined brightly in Hilton Head last weekend in addition to a strong performance at his Masters debut.
Many don’t see him coming until he’s already holding a space on the front page of the leaderboard.
As for Justin Suh, he’s only had two top tens in 2023 but possesses the potential to surprise a gallery of fans at any given moment.
At the Players Championship, Suh tied for sixth, which is no small feat considering it was a full star-studded field as a designated event.
He’s a competitor, and with Theegala, they could be a lethal duo that catches Schaffele and Cantlay by surprise.
The winners of this event will each receive 400 FedEx Cup points which could be a good chance to inch closer to Jon Rahm who currently heads the list.
Time is flying fast this season and another major, The PGA Championship, is just a month away.
Amanda Vogt is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email her at aev5215@psu.edu
