As we approach the midway stage of the season and look forward to the impending PGA Championship, there’s something a little different on the PGA Tour this week. Rather than the more familiar 72 holes of strokeplay used at regular events, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has an altogether different format, so what is it?
What Is The Format At The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans?
The TPC Louisiana event is the sole team contest on the PGA Tour. However, that is a relatively recent innovation, and until 2017, the tournament, which was established in 1938, had followed a traditional format. Nowadays, the event comprises a field of 160, which is divided into 80 teams of two.
In the first round, pairs will compete in fourball (best ball), which sees each player use their own ball, and the teammate with the lowest score on each hole provides that team’s score per hole. There's a change for the second round, though, when foursomes (alternate shot) becomes the order of the day, with duos alternating shots with the same ball.
After the end of Friday’s action, there is a cut that sees the top 33 teams and ties make it to the weekend. The remaining pairs once again play a round of fourball on Saturday before finishing with another round of foursomes, when one of the teams is declared the winner.
In the event of a tie at the end of Sunday's action, a sudden death playoff will be held with the two formats alternating after each hole until a winner is found. This was the case in 2024 when Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry defeated Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn at the first extra hole.
Do Players Pick Teams At The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans?
Teams are formed when each of the stars from the PGA Tour Priority Ranking who have committed to the event chooses a fellow PGA Tour partner or sponsor exemption to partner him.
Over the past couple of years, we have seen brothers and best friends competing together, such as the Fitzpatricks - Matt and Alex - as well as the Hojgaard twins, Rasmus and Nicolai. Best-bud combos have included Keith Mitchell and Joel Dahmen, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay plus defending champions McIlroy and Lowry.
In 2024, McIlroy explained the amusing circumstances that led to the pair agreeing to team up. He told GOLF.com: “I asked [Lowry to play]. You know it was actually, we had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year, and I said after, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?’ And we were like, yeah, let’s do it.”
The pair's decision was a good one as they triumphed at the end of a thrilling tournament. The Masters champion and 2019 Open Champion will aim to repeat their heroics in 2025 after officially committing to the event shortly after McIlroy's career Grand Slam completion.
