Duos Headline Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Schauffele and Cantlay Top Betting Markets
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is one of only a couple of pairs tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule, and the PGA betting odds are healthy.
Headlining betting markets is the dynamic duo of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, who are the +290 favorites.
However, hot on their heels are the likes of Morikawa/Homa, and Burns/Horschel.
Class Rises to the Top
Based on their world ranking, we’re not surprised the pairing of Schauffele and Cantlay aren’t even-money favorites to win.
They are two of the best players in the world, so getting +290 with Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting markets is a value price.
Given that they are the defending champions adds weight to their chances. They shot -29 to win by two strokes over Sam Burns and Billy Horschel last year, so that bodes well for another tilt at the PGA Tour title.
They have been competing with and against each other from a young age.
“I was a freshman at Long Beach (State) and my coach at the time … wanted me to play with the top player in the world to kind of compare,” recalled Schauffele, who played his freshman season at LBSU before transferring to San Diego State. “Pat shot a swift little 65 there and I think I shot 78. So I’ve come a long way here. Pat and I joke about that now.”
Betting on golf is all about finding value, and +290, despite being short, is worth snapping up.
American Duo to Test Favorites
Collin Morikawa and Max Homa are Ryder Cup and President’s Cup teammates, so they should have no problem playing well.
Morikawa hasn’t been playing his best golf lately, which is surprising given how well he hits his irons. His putter and has been letting him down, but that’s the beauty of the Zurich Classic at New Orleans – you don’t always need to play your best.
Having a partner can take the pressure of your shoulders, and when your partner is Homa, that’s a fair amount of pressure taken off.
“He’s one of the most spectacular golfers I’ve ever seen,” Homa said of Morikawa. “I’ve always wanted to test myself against someone like him that I look up to even though he’s significantly younger than me.”
He’s one of the hottest golfers on the PGA Tour, so they’re more than capable of winning the tournament as the second favorites.
Bettors get +700 for the Morikawa/Homa combination, and we expect them to be fighting out the finish with Schauffele and Cantlay.
Burns and Horschel Eye Better Result
Burns and Horschel finished second last year, so they’re keen to reverse the result.
We don’t think bettors are worried by Burns, who has been playing excellent golf, including a T15 finish at the RBC Heritage last week, and a T29 at the Masters.
The concern is with Horschel, who is playing well below his best. He hasn’t played well since being vocal about LIV, whether or not that’s a coincidence, we’ll leave that up for debate.
He comes off a missed cut at the RBC Heritage, but he made the cut at the Masters, albeit shooting +12.
Despite Horschel’s form, he could make a good partner for Burns. They have history in this event, and they should be confident of being near the top of the leaderboard.
“I know what kind of partner I need for the holes that are going to be hitting shots on, and Sam fit that profile to a T, and there’s certain things in his game that he does really well,” Horschel said.
It’s Horschel’s best chance to win another PGA Tour title, so expect a focused performance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
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