The PGA TOUR will be hosting the team-based Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week, which has been the home of this event since 2005. This has been a team-based event since 2017, but before that, the Zurich Classic was a standard full-sized tournament. This week, there will be 80 two-player teams competing and there will be a top-33 and ties cut following the first two rounds. The first and third rounds will be best ball format, and the second and fourth rounds will be alternate shot. At last year’s Zurich Classic, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won in a playoff at -25.
The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.
I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.
My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.
Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.
There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
- Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
- Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
- Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
- Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green
Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.
The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.
And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.
The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.
PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts
Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link!
Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.
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DraftKings $10,000+ Range
Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry ($12,400)
For good reason, this Irish duo is heavily favored to win this week and building around them is the most optimal route for cash games for the Zurich Classic. McIlroy and Lowry won this event in their debut as a team last season and they are both in the midst of incredible seasons. McIlroy’s win at the Masters two weeks ago is his third victory in just six starts this season and that win completed the career grand slam for the Irishman. On top of McIlroy playing arguably the best golf of his career, Lowry has carded six top-25 finishes in nine starts this season, including a runner-up at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, in which he finished two strokes back of his teammate in McIlroy. McIlroy and Lowry rank first and sixth in Total Strokes Gained this season, respectively, and this pairing of great friends very well could run away with a win this weekend.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge ($9,400)
Horschel won at TPC Louisiana as an individual in 2013 and then he won at the par 72 again in 2018 with Scott Piercy as his teammate. Following that victory, Horschel went on to finish T13 or better in four of his next five starts at the team-formatted Zurich Classic. No player in this field owns a better resume at TPC Louisiana than Horschel and while this will be his first time competing with Hoge as his teammate, Hoge is in great form and this duo should contend. Hoge has finished inside the top 20 at four events in a row and he ranks 16th in SG: Approach this season. As for Horschel, he has carded four top-25 finishes in 12 starts this season and he has gained strokes on approach at three straight events.
Updated on 5/23/25
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Sepp Straka/Brice Garnett ($8,800)
This pairing finished T11th at last year’s Zurich Classic in their debut as a team, and they bring even better upside this week with Straka playing the best golf of his career. Including a win at the American Express in January, Straka has tallied eight top-15 finishes in 12 starts this season and he ranks fifth in the FedEx Cup standings. Notably, Straka leads the PGA TOUR in both SG: Approach and par 5 performance, making him a perfect match for a classic par 72 like TPC Louisiana. While Garnett hasn’t been dominant like Straka this season, Garnett has made 7-of-9 cuts with two top-30 finishes, and he and Straka’s efforts combined should result in at least a top-10 finish for this squad.
Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin ($8,600)
This will be the third straight year that Taylor and Hadwin have competed as a team at the Zurich Classic, and at the past two editions of this event, they have finished runner-up and 10th. This Canadian pairing clearly has great chemistry and they are underpriced for the upside they bring in their return to TPC Louisiana this week. Hadwin has made 7-of-11 cuts this season, while Taylor has made 9-of-11 cuts with six finishes of T33 or better – including a win at the Sony Open in January – while ranking 20th in SG: Approach for the season.
Ryan Fox/Garrick Higgo ($8,400)
In their first attempt as a team, Fox and Higgo finished T4th at last year’s Zurich Classic, which marked Higgo’s second top-five finish at this team-based event. As for their current form, Fox has finished inside the top 20 twice in his last four starts, while Higgo has made six cuts in a row, with a T12 at the Puerto Rico Open in his most recent start. This duo is too cheap for their safety and they are an excellent target for cash games at only $8,400.
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Sam Ryder/Kevin Yu ($7,900)
Making their debut as a unit this week, Ryder and Kim bring great upside. While with different teammates, Yu finished T28th at last year’s Zurich Classic, and Ryder has finished T17th, T3rd, T28th and MC in his four appearances at this team event. In addition to having plenty of previous success at TPC Louisiana, Ryder and Yu both are in the midst of strong seasons on the PGA TOUR. Yu has made 7 of 11 cuts with four top-25 finishes and Ryder has carded four top-25 finishes himself while not missing a cut in 10 starts. Ryder ranks third in SG: Putting this season, which is great news for the susceptible TPC Louisiana, where each of the last five solo winners have finished the event in the top 12 in SG: Putting.
Chandler Phillips/Jacob Bridgeman ($7,600)
Phillips and Bridgeman finished T19th at last year’s Zurich Classic and both players return to TPC Louisiana in compelling form. On the heels of a T18 finish at the Valero Texas Open, Phillips has made seven of his last eight cuts. As for Bridgeman, he has only missed one cut in his last seven starts and he has been in the mix for wins during this stretch, with a runner-up at the Cognizant Classic and a T3rd at the Valspar Championship. Bridgeman has been one of the best putters in the world this season, ranking fifth in SG: Putting and Phillips’ ball striking has been strong, with him gaining strokes on approach in three of his last four starts. Combine these two skills and this pairing is a threat for another top-20 finish at TPC Louisiana.
Luke List/Henrik Norlander ($7,200)
As a team, List and Norlander have finished T23rd and T14th at the last two Zurich Classics, and while List is having a subpar season, Norlander has been one of the best ball strikers on the PGA TOUR. The Swedish professional ranks fifth in SG: Approach this season, which has translated into three top-20 finishes in his last four starts. Meanwhile, List ranks 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season, and his elite driver paired with Norlander’s terrific irons is a deadly combination that should result in another strong showing for this pairing at the Zurich Classic.
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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
Zach Johnson/Ryan Palmer ($6,600)
Johnson and Palmer finished T19th in their first effort as teammates at last year’s Zurich Classic, and both these veterans have had other successful outings at TPC Louisiana. Ever since the Zurich Classic became a team-based event, Johnson has produced two top-20 finishes in his three starts at this tournament, while Palmer has been even better, with five top-20 finishes in seven starts, including a three-shot win with Jon Rahm as his partner in 2019. Palmer has had a lackluster season, but the veteran has performed well at the Zurich Classic many times despite entering the event in poor form. Plus, Johnson is flourishing right now, with a T18 at the Valero Texas Open and a T8 at the Masters in his last two starts. Johnson gained strokes with both his irons and flat stick at Augusta National, and he carded a 6-under 66 during the third round of this major. With Johnson in this type of form, this pairing of him and Palmer should at the minimum make the cut this week.
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Pictured: Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry
Photo credit: Imagn
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