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The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, one of golf's extremely rare team-based tournaments, will commence on April 22 and will continue through April 25. This is a unique tournament, but it still has a pretty stacked field with duos that include Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and others.
Naturally, some are favored to win and others are not. That doesn't mean it's predictable, because history has shown that Zurich is anything but. Here are some sleeper picks to watch out for this week in New Orleans.
Five underrated duos to win the Zurich Classic 2024
5) Peter Malnati/Russell Knox
The duo of Peter Malnati and Russell Knox is the biggest longshot of the event at +15000, per CBS Sports. Las Vegas oddsmakers have almost completely counted them out, but Malnati won a PGA Tour tournament not too long ago. He's a 2024 winner, which means he could easily put together a good performance in the Zurich Classic.
4) Rasmus Hojgaard/Nicolai Hojgaard
The Hojgaard duo is perhaps being overlooked in the Zurich Classic. The twin brothers are both pretty good at golf. They're professionals, at least. They also have the rare rapport that no other duo in the field can claim and that could pay massive dividends.
They might not be the most talented on the field, but they likely have the most chemistry and that could swing things in their favor.
3) Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin
Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin aren't really among the favorites to win the Zurich of New Orleans. But, they probably should be. Last year, they were the runner up after shooting 28 under par. If not for a record-setting performance by Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, they would have won. That puts them in a good position to once again do well this year.
2) Davis Riley/Nick Hardy
Somehow, the defending champions at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans are only +8000 to win, the 35th-best odds of winning it. They set the record for strokes under par in 2023, so there's no reason to assume they can't play well again. The chemistry is there and so is the past success, so it's rather surprising to see them being underrated by the odds.
1) Billy Horschel/Tyson Alexander
The duo of Billy Horschel and Tyson Alexander has something that most other pairings do not have: a repeat champion. Horschel has won this event twice, both as a solo and part of a duo. He placed second another time, so he's clearly someone who knows how to play this event and this venue.
This duo is +5000 to win, making them a bit of a longshot. That might be overlooking Horschel's historical performance in the event.
