April 22, 2025
It's been a slow spring for Ben Griffin, although he has managed to finish T18-T40 in his last two events. The 28-year-old has still been one of the better players this season statistically, ranking 42nd in strokes gained tee to green (+0.545) and top 60 in strokes gained on approach and around the green. He'll tee it up Thursday at TPC Louisiana alongside Andrew Novak, who nearly won last week in Hilton Head. Putting may be a concern for both players, but more so for Griffin, who ranks 102nd in strokes gained putting (-0.035). He's also looking to make the cut for the first time, having missed the cut the previous two years with other partners.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
Taylor Moore has been a steady presence on tour this season, posting six finishes of T42 or better and missing just two cuts in his first nine starts. He missed the cut at this event last year with three-time teammate Matt NeSmith, despite back-to-back fourth-place finishes in previous years, but this time he gets a boost by partnering with former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark. Moore has struggled on approach, ranking 123rd on tour, but he makes up for it off the tee, where he ranks 20th. He's also been sharp around the greens, ranking 12th in strokes gained per round at plus-0.373. Both players have had success at the Zurich Classic in the past, and while they may not be the most high-profile pairing in the field, their experience could very well have them in contention come the weekend.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
After opening with a 65 at the RBC Heritage, Wyndham Clark couldn't maintain that momentum and settled for a T27 finish. He now returns to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, an event he skipped last year, and will be teaming up with a new partner in Taylor Moore. Clark has a strong track record at TPC Louisiana, finishing third, 10th, and T17 in his last three appearances, each with a different teammate. While there aren't many standout statistical indicators for success at this event, Clark ranks 94th in approach and 92nd off the tee, but he brings value in the short game, sitting 47th in both strokes gained putting and around the green. This pairing may not be the flashiest on paper, but Clark's history at this venue speaks for itself.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
Kurt Kitayama has had a rocky stretch lately, missing the cut in five of his last eight starts, but he'll be hoping a return to team play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans helps spark a turnaround. Teaming up once again with superstar Collin Morikawa after a solid T23 finish last year, Kitayama brings serious firepower to the pairing. He's one of the longest hitters on tour, averaging 315.8 yards off the tee (sixth-best), and ranks 13th in strokes gained off the tee per round at plus-0.508. That kind of distance will be a real weapon in the alternate-shot format, especially when paired with Morikawa's elite ball-striking. With Kitayama's power and Morikawa's precision, this team has the tools to do some real damage and is a pairing to watch throughout the week.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
Short-game woes continue to plague Collin Morikawa, as he lost 7.25 strokes around the green and putting at the RBC Heritage, ultimately finishing T54. It marks the fourth straight event in which he has lost strokes with his flat stick, but perhaps some pressure being taken off at this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans is exactly what he needs to turn things around. Morikawa will once again team up with Kurt Kitayama, with the duo having finished T23 at this event in 2024. Despite his short-game struggles, Morikawa still ranks third in total strokes gained per round, second in approach, and fourth in driving accuracy. He may need to carry the bulk of the weight, but this pairing remains one of the more intriguing teams to watch.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
A winner in Phoenix earlier this year, Thomas Detry has not had much else going for him in 2025. He's only managed one top 25 finish since, and is struggling to stay consistent. In the seven events since his victory, Detry has finished four with negative strokes gained totals. And in the three events where he's managed to gain strokes hasn't necessarily been by a large margin. It's difficult to know exactly where his game currently stands, but pairing up with last year's teammate, Bobby Mac, at this week's Zurich Classic should benefit the German's shortcomings. If course history means anything in a team format setting, Detry makes a decent candidate, finishing T8 last season and T13 in 2023 (with Viktor Perez). This will be one of the more interesting pairings to watch come Thursday.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
April 22, 2025
After a good run in March, Robert MacIntyre has struggled to get things going in his last two starts, finishing T68 at The Masters and missing the cut last week in Hilton Head. Granted, both layouts are very methodical, approach-savvy venues that don't necessarily accentuate his skillset. However, that part of his game has been showing signs of improvement this season, as he was averaging +0.5 in strokes gained in eight events before the falloff in the last two weeks. He'll team up with Thomas Detry this week in New Orleans on a layout that gives way to his sporadic play style. The duo finished T8 at this event last season.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
April 22, 2025
After a disappointing Masters finish, Shane Lowry rebounded in expected fashion last week at Harbour Town. A T18 isn't a bad week after the emotions of playing for a green jacket, although losing strokes on approach (-0.16 average strokes gained on approach) at such a ball-striker-centric course was a bit surprising. He'll now turn his focus to TPC Louisiana, where he and partner Rory McIlroy will look to defend their unique victory last season. Given the incredible start to the season for his partner and Lowry's more frequent involvement in big tournaments, this pair is the headlining favorites in a lighter Zurich Classic field than we've had in years past.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
April 22, 2025
Coming off his historic win at The Masters, Rory McIlroy will tee it up again with good pal, Shane Lowry, this week at TPC Louisiana. Much like McIlroy's route to two victories this season, he and Lowry won this event last season in a playoff over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. There isn't much to know about the layout this week other than that it rewards the long ball off the tee, which the Northern Irishman is one of the best in the world at. Leading the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green (+1.725), this formidable team is the undoubted favorite ahead of Thursday's opening round.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
April 22, 2025
Nick Taylor and his golf game have evolved considerably. The Canadian golfer is not such a longer shot to win tournaments anymore. Taylor won the Sony Open this year where birdies are a prerequisite for victory. Also, he has two other Top 10 results. Now, the Spring part of the season has not gotten off to the best start with two missed cuts and two results in the 40's. However, New Orleans remains special to Taylor. After all, he and Adam Hadwin had that memorable run in 2023. Furthermore, even with a quality field led by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, the Canadians will not be rattled. At +3500, Hadwin and Taylor have to be considered as Taylor's accuracy from approaches ranks 20th and his putter can get red hot on courses like New Orleans.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
April 22, 2025
Adam Hadwin is probably thankful the New Orleans tournament is on the schedule. The Canadian golfer has not enjoyed a solid result since the Top 10 at the WM Phoenix Open in early February. Hadwin and Nick Taylor nearly won the tournament in 2023. They finished two strokes behind Nick Hardy and Davis Riley. Now, 28-under-par would have won most every year. There is little doubt the pair play well together even if 2025 form is questionable at best. Hadwin has not finished inside the Top 25 since February. Stats back this up as Hadwin is outside the Top 100 in several major strokes gained metrics and putts per round on the weekend. The +3500 for Hadwin and Nick Taylor may be a risk but one truly never knows.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
April 22, 2025
Alejandro Tosti is playing well at the right time. The golfer from Argentina has three straight Top 15 results including a runner-up at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week. The one major red flag is that Tosti tends to fade late (see the Cognizant Classic). In Florida, Tosti was in contention before back-to-back 75's derailed his chances. That arguably led to three straight missed cuts. His game is as volatile as his flair for shotmaking. What he does not excel in is putting. Tosti ranks 165th in putting in terms of strokes gained. Worse, he averages 30.5 putts per final round. That is not exactly ideal for any team to contend on Sunday. Tosti and Joe Highsmith are the definition of risk and reward this weekend.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
April 22, 2025
Joe Highsmith picked the wrong time to struggle as a team event in New Orleans approaches. The American golfer will be paired with Alejandro Tosti in this weekend's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Highsmith won at the Cognizant Classic in March behind a brilliant 64-64 weekend highlighted by several clutch putts. Since then, things have been different. Highsmith missed three cuts and fell off to start and end the RBC Heritage. The 74 on Sunday may have been more concerning because of all the missed putts. Again Highsmith has an average scoring average of 70.56 (103rd). Greens in regulation comes in 151st at 62.96% which means he may not be the most ideal DFS or betting option even in a team format.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
April 22, 2025
Karl Vilips won the Puerto Rico Open in 2025. The Australian golfer faces a step up in competition at the Zurich Classic this week. Vilips has not fared well since winning down in Puerto Rico in March. He missed three straight cuts and then ended up outside the Top 50 at the RBC Heritage last week. Vilips went to Stanford University with Michael Thorbjornsen so the partnership goes back a bit. Anyway, last week's 71-74 causes some considerable concern for what is to come. A golfer must make putts in New Orleans but be accurate with the driver. A 58% driver accuracy ranks 115th and Vilips averages 30 putts per final round which is a significant hurdle despite decent +4000 odds for him and Thorbjornsen.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
April 22, 2025
Michael Thorbjornsen comes off a great result from the Corales Puntacana Championship. The American golfer finished tied for second but faltered late with a 73 on Sunday. That is one red flag heading into New Orleans. The other is the most obvious. He is a young golfer (23) heading to a party town like New Orleans. Does the focus go astray? Anyway, Thorbjornsen has missed six cuts in 10 events. With 80 teams in the tournament potentially, the cut line is 33 teams plus ties. That has to be kept in mind. Finally, birdies and putting have been issues. Thorbjornsen ranks 158th in strokes gained to putting at -0.504. His putting average is 29.45 which ranks 169th. He may be someone to fade along with Karl Vilips.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
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