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Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Novak/Griffin Win Zurich Classic

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NEW ORLEANS – Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin were grinding it through the final two holes of the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and it seemed to everyone watching that the PGA Tour would be staging its third consecutive week of playoff golf.

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Staring down a difficult 40-footer on the 17th, Griffin buried the putt and changed the outcome of the tournament with that clutch stroke.

At 28-under, Novak and Griffin finished one stroke ahead of Nicolai and RasmusHøjgaard to win the Zurich Classic, the lone team-based tournament of the year. Since the team format was introduced in 2017, the Novak/Griffin pairing joined Cameron Smith (2017 with Jonas Blixt) and Nick Hardy/Davis Riley (2023) as players winning their first career PGA TOUR title at the event.

Novak and Griffin also became the fourth of eight winning teams who’ve held the 54-hole lead/co-lead and went on to victory.

Novak and Griffin each pocketed 400 FedExCup points, $1,329,400, a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR (through 2027) and entry into the three remaining Signature Events.

Zurich Classic | Final Leaderboard

1 Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin 62 66 61 71 260 (-28)

2 Nicolai Højgaard/Rasmus Højgaard 59 70 64 68 261 (-27)

3 Jake Knapp/Frankie Capan III 63 69 60 70 262 (-26)

Irish Eyes Are a Smilin’ in NOLA

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Irish eyes smiled upon TPC Louisiana this weekend as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry prevailed in a playoff to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in McIlroy’s debut at the team tournament in Louisiana.

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McIlroy, the four-time major champ from Northern Ireland, and Lowry, his Irish friend, fellow major winner and onetime Ryder Cup teammate, put the Zurich on their schedule hoping to jump up the FedEx Cup standings. They’ll each receive 400 FedEx Cup points after defeating Chad Ramey and France’s Martin Trainer on the first playoff hole.

After starting the day seven shots off the lead, Ramey and Trainer fired a 9-under 63 in Sunday’s round of foursomes (alternate shot) to head to the clubhouse at 25-under 263. Other teams in the 25-under range soon wobbled and fell back — including McIlroy and Lowry, for a brief time, before they rebounded from a bogey at No. 17 with a birdie at the par-5 18th hole to force the playoff.

They returned to the 18th tee to begin the playoff, and Ramey’s second shot hooked left over the gallery. Trainer couldn’t hit his third shot hard enough onto the green. Meanwhile, Lowry put his team in the bunker on the second shot but McIlroy made a nice recovery shot — similar to his pitch shot on the 72nd hole to set up Lowry’s 5-foot birdie that forced the playoff.

Lowry’s birdie try in the playoff came to rest inches right of the cup, but Trainer pushed his short par putt that would have extended the playoff.

It marked McIlroy’s 25th PGA Tour win and Lowry’s third. Lowry had not won on U.S. soil since August 2015.

Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard shot a 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff after finishing with four straight pars. Brehm missed a must-have birdie at No. 18.

–Field Level Media

Wire-To-Wire at NOLA

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NEW ORLEANS – The race went wire-to-wire. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a tournament-record 29-under (259), and became the first team to win the event in wire-to-wire fashion.

Cantlay collected his seventh PGA Tour victory in his 131st start at the age of 30 years, 1 month, 7 days while Schauffele picked up his fifth victory in his 129th Tour starts at the age of 28 years, 5 months, 30 days.

Cantlay became the first player to lose a playoff one week and win a tournament the next since Dustin Johnson (2020).

Billy Horschel and Sam Burns finished runner-up on a Tour event for the ninth and third time, respectively.

Defending champions Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith finished T-21.

Zurich Classic | Final Leaderboard

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele 59-68-60-72—259 (-29)

Sam Burns/Billy Horschel 62-68-63-68—261 (-27)

Doc Redman/Sam Ryder 61-67-69-67—264 (-24)

Final Leaderboard: (link)

Format: Teams of two players compete in Four-ball (best ball) in first and third rounds, Foursomes (alternate shot) in second and fourth rounds

This Week: Mexico Open at Vidanta

PGA Tour Brunch will post a preview at 12:00pm Noon (ET) on Wednesday.

This Week: Mexico Open at Vidanta (link)

First Look at the Mexico Open (PGATourCom)

Moving Day at Zurich Classic/NOLA

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Zurich Classic | Round 3

NEW ORLEANS – In a bid for their first tournament victories of the season,Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele followed their tournament record 13-under (59) in R-1 with a 4-under (68) in Foursomes in R-2.

The teams of Aaron Rai/David Lipsky and Doc Redman/Sam Ryder seek their first career Tour victory and trail by only a stroke each.

Australians Jason Day/Jason Scrivener and South Africans Branden Grace/Garrick Higgo tied the Foursomes tournament record with a 7-under (65), matching Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer from their R-2 in 2019.

Two of the previous four winning teams have come back from four-or-more strokes after 36-holes (2018 Scott Piercy and Billy Horschel were seven back, 2021 Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith were four back. The defending champions (Leishman and C.Smith) sit T-8 and trail by six strokes.

Billy Horschel/Sam Burns (T-6) at (-14) followed an outgoing nine of 1-over 37 with a 5-under 31 coming in, good for a 4-under (68). Horschel is the only player to win the Zurich Classic in both the individual (2013) and team format (with Scott Piercy in 2018).

The team of Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira withdrew from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans prior to the start of R-2, due to a Pereira back injury.

Tee Times are at 7:20am (local)/8:30am (ET) to 11:45am (local)/12:45pm (EDT)

Zurich Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes:

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele 59-68—127 (-17)

Doc Redman/Sam Ryder 61-67—128 (-16)

Aaron Rai/David Lipsky 61-67—128 (-16)

Cameron Tringale/Wyndham Clark 62-67—129 (-15)

Garrick Higgo/Branden Grace 64-65—129 (-15)

PGA Tour: Pros in Pairs at Zurich Classic

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The Zurich Classic | Tournament Preview

NEW ORLEANS – The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, first played in 1938, has featured its popular two-man team match play format since 2017 and is the only official FedEx Cup event on the PGA Tour schedule that uses a team format.

The field consists of 80 teams (160 players), with each team comprised of two professionals, featuring Four-ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and final rounds.

The 2017 Zurich Classic was the first official team event on the PGA Tour since the 1981 Walt Disney World national team championship held at the Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista courses at Walt Disney World in Florida.

The reigning 2022 PLAYERS Championship winner Cameron Smith and fellow Australian Marc Leishman will return to defend their title. Smith, who won in the inaugural year of the team format (2017) with Jonas Blixt, is the only two-time winner in the team format. Smith leads the Presidents Cup International Team standings, while Leishman is currently No. 12.

Five of the Top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field, but only two of those players are teaming up with world No. 2 Collin Morikawa and partner world No. 5 Viktor Hovland will competing together. They will become the first pair of Top-five players in the OWGR to team up (highest-ranked team since the team format began in 2017, with an average ranking of 3.5).

PGA Tour: Wrap-Up at Zurich Classic

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PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of Zurich Classic

NEW ORLEANS  – Australians Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith defeated 54-hole leaders Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzelof South Africa with a par on the first hole of sudden death playoff to mark the first playoff in the event since 2017 when Smith and Jonas Blixt defeated Scott Brown and Kevin Kisner. With the win, Smith becomes the first player to win the event twice in the team format.

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Partnering together for the first time, the Australian natives overcame a 1-shot deficit beginning the final round to close with a 2-under (70) and then win with a par on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th.

Runner-up Louis Oosthuizen was seeking his second career PGA Tour win more than 10 years after his 2010 The Open Championship title.

Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay combined for eight birdies in the final round to tie the record for most par-breakers in a Foursomes round since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans became a team event in 2017.

Defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer finished seventh at 17-under (271).

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans switched from individual stroke play to the two-man team format in 2017 and is the only official FedExCup team event on Tour.

Zurich Classic Final Leaderboard

Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith 63-72-63-70—268 (-20)*

Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel 63-71-63-71—268 (-20)

Richy Werenski/Peter Uihlein 65-69-68-67—269 (-19)

Billy Horschel/Sam Burns 63-73-65-69—270 (-18)

Keith Mitchell/Brandt Snedeker 66-71-64-69—270 (-18)

Keegan Bradley/Brendan Steele 63-73-64-70—270 (-18)

*Won with a par on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th

PGA Tour: Final Round at Zurich Classic

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PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of Zurich Classic

Six teams shot (63) for low round of the day, including third round leaders Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel.

The South African team Oosthuizen/Schwartzel seek to join nine players from outside the United States to win the Zurich Classic since 2000.

Defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer sit T-9 and four back at (15-under).

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans switched from individual stroke play to the two-man team format in 2017 and is the only official FedExCup team event on Tour. Since team format was introduced, the 54-hole leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win twice – two of the three years – (2017/Cameron Smith/Jonas Blixt, 2019/Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer). The 2020 event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-time major champion and 2011 Zurich Classic winner Bubba Watson and 2019-20 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Scottie Scheffler birdied two of the final three holes (Nos. 16 and 18) for a 6-under (66) and sit T-4 at (17-under), two strokes back of the leaders. Scheffler is making his Zurich Classic debut. Watson is making his 13th appearance and fourth in team format with his third different partner.

Format: Foursomes in fourth round.

Highlights from Round Three:

Tournament Tee Times today at 9:50am (local)/10:50am (EDT through 12:55pm (local)/1:55pm (EDT)

Weather: Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees with winds at 10 mph.

PGATourBrunch will be posting a Zurich Classic Wrap-Up at Noon (EDT)on Monday, April 26.

Next Week: Valspar Championship (Palm Harbor, FLA)

Leaderboard After Third Round at Zurich Classic

Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel 63-71-63—197 (-19)

Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith 63-72-63—198 (-18)

Cameron Champ/Tony Finau 63-68-67—198 (-18)

Bubba Watson/Scottie Scheffler 64-69-66—199 (-17)

Viktor Hovland/Kris Ventura 62-69-68—199 (-17)

Previewing Round 3 at Zurich Classic

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PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of Zurich Classic of NOLA

By carding (68s), Cameron Champ/Tony Finau match Henrik Stenson/Justin Rose for low round of the day on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian team of Viktor Hovland/Kris Ventura are attempting to join nine players from outside the United States to win the Zurich Classic since 2000. Ventura can join 17 players since 1990 who have made the Zurich Classic their maiden victory on the PGA Tour.

Defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer sit T-9 and five back at 8-under.

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Nick Watney (No. 4) and Graeme McDowell (No. 17) made the fourth and fifth aces, respectively, at TPC Louisiana since the tournament switched to the team format.

Since team format was introduced, the 36-hole leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win twice (2017/Cameron Smith/Jonas Blixt, 2019/Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer)

Cutline came in at (-6).

Format: Four-ball third round, Foursomes in fourth round.

Tournament Tee Times today at 8:05am (local)/9:05am (EDT through 11:45pm (local)/12:45pm (EDT)

Weather: Scattered thunderstorms on Saturday (30% chance of rain) with temps ranging from 73-degrees to 85. Southwest winds at 15-25mph. Scattered pop-up type thunderstorms will be possible through much of the day as a frontal boundary remains nearly stalled north of New Orleans. Thunderstorms are not expected to be widespread, and probabilities of any given hour are low, yet the threat for a storm will linger through sunset. Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees with winds at 10 mph.

PGATourBrunch will be posting before 9am (EDT) on Sunday.

Next Week: Valspar Championship (Palm Harbor, FLA)

Leaderboard After Second Round at Zurich Classic

Cameron Champ/Tony Finau 63-68—131 (-13)

Viktor Hovland/Kris Ventura 62-69—131 (-13)

Henrik Stenson/Justin Rose 65-68—133 (-11)

Bubba Watson/Scottie Scheffler 64-69—133 (-11)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: Second Round Preview at Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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PGA Tour Brunch 1st Round Coverage of Zurich Classic of NOLA

NEW ORLEANS – Making their first starts in the Zurich Classic, Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura opened with a bogey-free 10-under (62). Brice Garnett and Scott Stallings birdied eight of their last 11 holes to post 10-under (62).

Louisiana native Sam Burns and two-time Zurich Classic champion Billy Horschel birdied first four holes en route to a (63).

Defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer are T-16 after a 7-under (65).

Format: Four-ball in first and third rounds, Foursomes in second and fourth rounds.

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The Tournament Tee Times today at 8:20am (local)/9:20am (EDT through 2:14pm (local)/3:14pm (EDT)

Weather: Forecast today calls for mostly cloudy skies, showers and thunderstorms after 3pm with a 40% chance of rain. The showers and thunderstorms could hold over until Saturday (90% chance of rain). Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees.

PGATourBrunch will be posting before 9am (EDT) on Saturday and Sunday.

Next Week: Valspar Championship (Palm Harbor, FLA)

Leaderboard After First Round at Zurich Classic

Viktor Hovland/Kris Ventura 62 (-10)

Brice Garnett/Scott Stallings 62 (-10)

Seven teams 63 (-9)

PGA Tour: First Look at Zurich Classic

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Welcome to PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of the Zurich Classic

The 2020 Zurich Classic of New Orleans was one of 11 events canceled in the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. The Zurich Classic (which was first played in 1938), has utilized the two-man team format since 2017. It remains the only official FedExCup team event on the PGA TOUR schedule.

Two-player team event, with each team comprised of two professionals, featuring Four-ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and fourth rounds.

The starting field will consist of 80 teams (160 players) with the 36-hole cut to the low 33 teams and ties at the 33rd position.

The field consists of 12 past Zurich Classic of New Orleans winners: K.J. Choi (2002), Nick Watney (2007), Andres Romero (2008), Bubba Watson(2011), Jason Dufner (2012), Billy Horschel (2013, 2018), Justin Rose(2015), Brian Stuard (2016), Cameron Smith (2017), Scott Piercy (2018), Jon Rahm (2019), Ryan Palmer (2019)

Zurich Ambassadors: Justin Rose, Billy Horschel, and Collin Morikawa.

The Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 7:00am (EDT) through 2:10pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s Forecast calls mild, sunny skies and a temperature of 64-degrees with 49% humidity and 13 mph winds. Zero chance of rain. Friday (70% chance of rain) could bring PM showers and thunderstorms which will hold over until Saturday (90% chance of rain). Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees.