Scottie Scheffler has set the sport of golf on fire with four wins in his last five starts, but everyone in the field at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans this weekend can take a deep breath because Scheffler won’t be teeing it up for the first time in weeks.
With one of the most entertaining and unique events on the schedule, players will surely be excited and ready to capitalize. As the only official team event of the year on the PGA Tour, it can be hard to predict what will happen as the first and third rounds will feature fourball (best ball) while the second and fourth rounds feature foursomes (alternate shot).
Find my 2024 Zurich Classic Sleeper Picks & Longshots below.
2024 Zurich Classic Sleeper Picks & Longshots
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy 80-1 (DraftKings)
May I interest you in two gentlemen who have chemistry, supplemental skill sets and most importantly, oh I don’t know….won this event last year?
Being the defending champions of an event full of duos is not the most important thing in the world, but it certainly means something. We have seen players have success in this event consistently – Cameron Smith and Billy Horschel have both won this event and also finished runner-up just a few years apart.
With such an unorthodox format, two players with the chemistry and history of success that Riley and Hardy have together is a steal.
Last year, they didn’t just win. They dominated in historic fashion with the lowest ever score to par in this event at 30-under at TPC Louisiana.
Neither Riley or Hardy are in great form, but that is what makes them a longshot worth taking. Had either been placing higher in recent weeks this season, they would undoubtedly be closer to 30-1 or 40-1 as the defending champions.
Their games complement each other nicely, as Hardy is above average in SG: Off the Tee (65th) and Riley is strong around the green and with his putter.
Davis Riley is clutch!! 🔥@NickHardy8 and @DavisRiley68 extend their lead to two after the birdie on 17 @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/J4OX6vFEAx
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 23, 2023
As a duo last year, they combined to shoot -30 and win this event in style. They're worth a flyer as our first longshot of the week.
Dylan Wu & Justin Lower 80-1 (DraftKings)
While Hardy and Riley have struggled lately, Dylan Wu and Justin Lower have been in stellar form recently.
Wu has made seven of 10 cuts this season but is on an impressive run of four consecutive cuts made. He has three top-30 finishes in his last six starts, including a T19 at THE PLAYERS Championship, T24 at the Mexico Open and T26 at the Valspar Championship.
His teammate Lower has been even hotter this season, having made the cut in nine of 12 events, and is coming off of one of his best performances of the season last week.
Lower tied for fourth at the Corales Puntacana Championship, shooting 18-under on the week. That is his second-best placement of the season, after he tied for third at the Mexico Open. In the 80-1 range this week, you won’t find many players with multiple top-five finishes this season on Tour like Lower has.
Both Lower and Wu grade out impressively in Strokes Gained (SG): Approach, which is a key stat in New Orleans because the course is a Pete Dye build, which requires precision from tee to green and neutralizes long hitters off the tee.
Wu is ranked 43rd in SG: Approach, and Lower ranks 41st in the same category. If either can get hot with the putter, they will have a chance to compete.
Peter Malnati & Russell Knox 160-1 (bet365)
Speaking of putting…our last longshot worth taking features one of the best putters on Tour this season.
To win the Zurich Classic, getting hot on the greens is a necessity. In a low-scoring event where every team will be taking risks gunning for birdies, knocking down putts is a requirement to surpass the field and post the number needed (likely between 25 and 30-under) to hoist the trophy.
Enter Peter Malnati.
Malnati, owner of three top-15 finishes this season including an outright win at the Valspar Championship, is ranked fifth on Tour this season in SG: Putting. He grades above average in all key putting categories, including putting averages, putts per round and one-putt percentage.
Malnati’s teammate, Russell Knox, is a bit of a wildcard this week as he has only played two events this season and has missed the cut both times. However, that’s partially why Malnati, who has been in good form this season, is such a steal this week. Malnati’s odds would likely be closer to 80-1 if he was paired with a player in better form.
If Malnati’s putter stays as hot as it has been all season long, this is one of the best values on the entire board for the Zurich Classic.
