The Zurich Classic of New Orleans takes place this year from April 25-28. Although the tournament has been an integral part of the PGA Tour for many years, for a long time it was “just” a tournament like many others. In 2017, it was given a new look and no longer takes place in single counting play. Instead, the format was changed to a two-man team event, but retained its status as a fully-fledged tournament with generous prize money and numerous FedEx Cup points. In 2020, the tournament had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, it returned to the tour in 2021.
The starting field consists of 80 teams, with the top players allowed to choose their own teammate. The only prerequisite for the selection is that the partner is eligible to play on the PGA Tour or has received a sponsor invitation. The teams will play in fourball format on Thursday and Saturday and in foursome mode on Friday and Sunday. As usual, the cut will be made after the second round and only the top 33 teams and tied players will progress to the third round. A total of 8.9 million US dollars will be distributed among the teams, with the winning duo also pocketing 800 FedEx Cup points (400 each).
PGA Tour: Upswing through uniqueness
Andy Pazder, Chief of Operations of the PGA Tour, explained the reasons for the change at the time: “We have seen the growth in popularity of biennial team competitions such as the Ryder Cup and the World Cup of Golf and also the excitement these tournaments generate. We believe that fans would like to see this type of competition as a regular part of our season.” This format makes the Zurich Classic exceptional on the PGA Tour, as the last time there was a comparable team event on the PGA Tour was almost four decades ago at the Walt Disney World National Team Championship in 1981.
The response since the announcement of the change has been consistently very positive. “The team format is an incredibly great new element on the Tour,” says Olympic champion Justin Rose. And even four years after the experiment, both fans and organizers are positively surprised by the “resurgence of the PGA Tour’s annual stop in New Orleans”. The change from the classic 72-hole counting game format was of course subject to risk, but ultimately led to stronger starting fields and increased interest in this unique Tour event.