Sport
Zurich Classic of New Orleans preview: Zala and Gala to take New Orleans by storm
Following an intense few weeks on the PGA Tour with individual brilliance at the forefront of proceedings, there is a significant mood change as the players head to Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Since 2017 this has been a team event, offering players a chance to let loose a little and have some fun with players whom they’ll be competing against fiercely for the rest of the season.
What will make this one even more appealing for the field is the absence of Scottie Scheffler, who is taking a well-earned rest having done the Masters-RBC Heritage double in the past two weeks.
Make no mistake, the players’ competitive edge will still be on show and we’re bound to see some low scoring.
Find our picks for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans below.
Sahith Theegala & Will Zalatoris 15/2
In Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris we are taking the pure form angle, with both players putting in some seriously impressive performances in recent weeks.
Most notably, Theegala finished second at last week’s RBC Heritage, which is as good as first when you factor in the inevitable Scottie Scheffler, who walked the tournament by a three-shot margin.
Zalatoris has also put up some nice finishes this season, with his performances peaking in a three-tournament stretch spanning the Farmers Insurance Open, Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational – his finishes reading T13, T2 and T4.
Theegala turned out here last year, finishing T23 when playing with Justin Suh, whilst Zalatoris’ last appearance was an impressive one back in 2022 where he finished T4 when teeing it up alongside Davis Riley.
In an event where someone like Eric Cole choose to play with their caddy’s 65-year-old father, this world-class pairing will certainly be a force to be reckoned with and at 15/2 could still represent good value. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will be the main danger but at 4/1 we just can’t justify that price in such a laid-back event.
Keith Mitchell & Joel Dahmen 33/1
From pure form to pure vibes, our second selection is certainly a feel-good one as two of the locker room’s favourites in Keith Mitchell and Joel Dahmen join forces to take on TPC Louisiana this week.
Novelties aside, this all-American duo look to have a genuine chance this week and both are top quality players who have all the tools to combine for a seriously low score.
Mitchell has a PGA Tour win under his belt and has been playing some good golf this season. Six top 25 finishes in 11 starts is not something to turn your nose up at and his T7 finish at the Texas Open earlier this month was an impressive one.
As for Dahmen, he also has a Tour victory to his name, but his 2024 form has been slightly less consistent. He has missed five of 11 cuts but has also thrown in some glimmers of hope, namely his T11 finish at The Players back in March.
Team chemistry and morale can go a long way for these players who are so used to being locked into their own game, and when the visor and bucket hat combine you never know what could happen. At 33/1 this top quality pairing have all the ability to be in the mix towards the top of the leaderboard and should they finish in the 6 places available with William Hill, they’ll certainly do it in style.
