Golf best bets: Outright picks for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Maverick McNealy (left) and Tom Hoge (right) make up a perfect team on paper.

For the fourth time in the last seven weeks, Scottie Scheffler blew up our outright card by dusting the field and proving why he’s the best player in the world. There isn’t much we can do if the +400 favorite just wins every time he tees it up, but, thankfully for us, Scheffler isn’t in the field for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.

The Zurich Classic is a team event in which players form duos and play two rounds each of better ball and alternate shot. It may not be the most anticipated tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, but the money counts the same in the outright market. Here are the three duos we’re targeting at the Zurich Classic.

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy (+2500 DraftKings)

Tom Hoge and Maverick McNealy make up a perfect team on paper. Tom Hoge is a deadly accurate driver of the golf ball and the best iron player in the world right now not named Scheffler, while Maverick McNealy can fill it up on and around the greens. McNealy was No. 1 on the PGA Tour last season in strokes gained from putting.

Hoge ranks second on Tour this year in approach shot proximity and sixth in birdie or better percentage. The issue has always been his short game, but he found a perfect partner to offset his weakness.

Adam Hadwin/Nick Taylor (+4000 DK)

This is another team that should be able to rack up a ton of birdies at TPC Louisiana. The Canadian duo teamed up for this event last year and finished runner-up behind Davis Riley and Nick Hardy at 28 under par.

This season, Hadwin ranks 15th on the PGA Tour in birdie or better percentage. He’s on fire with his putter right now, which is a great sign going into a birdie fest team event. Nick Taylor has also been pouring it in with his putter this year, and he ranks 21st on Tour in strokes gained on approach.

Billy Horschel/Tyson Alexander (+5000 DK)

Billy Horschel is almost an auto-bet every time he shows up to the Zurich Classic. The American won at TPC Louisiana in 2013 before this became a team event, then he won again alongside Scott Piercy in 2018. He’s also finished fourth, second and 11th in the last three years with Sam Burns. Oh, and Horschel is coming off a win last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship in which he tied the course record with a 63 in the final round.

Tyson Alexander is obviously a downgrade from Burns, but we have no problem riding a hot Horschel on one of his favorite golf courses.

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