Racing Post's Zurich Classic second-round foursome predictions and free tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the second round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 6pm Friday

Best bets

Tyrrell Hatton & Danny Willett to win 7.19pm foursome
1pt 6-5 bet365
Cameron Smith & Marc Leishman to win 7.08pm foursome
1pt 21-20 bet365

Second round preview

The pairs format of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans may provide a bit of a break from the conventional PGA Tour individual strokeplay format, but it is an acquired taste and can present problems for in-play golf punters.

Thursday's first round at TPC Louisiana was played as fourballs - the best score from each pairing counts for each hole - but today will see a switch to foursomes where one ball will be played between the pair with each player taking alternate shots.

However, this will not be played on a match basis as we see in the Ryder Cup. It will just count towards the pairs' strokeplay score so they will be playing alongside another couple rather than against them.

So it is difficult to glean much information from what happened yesterday, but there look to be a couple of odds-against shots who are worth chancing.

The 7.19pm foursome has a real European Ryder Cup feeling about it with Tyrrell Hatton and Danny Willett playing with Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood, and the English pair may make the bigger impression.

Willett showed flashes in a third-round 67 at the RBC Heritage last week, but it will be his 12th place at Augusta that would have given his confidence a big boost.

Hatton should be tidy enough around the greens to help the cause and they are well-placed four off the pace after a combined nine-under-par 63.

Fleetwood and Garcia start the second round three shots behind them and took a little while to get going before a burst of birdies towards the end of their opening spin.

There is scope for improvement, but the pair's decent Ryder Cup records may have been given a little too much importance as this foursomes round may not be quite the same.

Earlier, defending champions Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith didn't have a bad day with a seven-under-par 65 and it is possible that they can grow into the tournament.

Players Championship winner Smith looked jaded at times at the Heritage last week after finishing third at Augusta, but this unusual format could be just the thing to galvanise him. And, of course, the Aussies have been round the block before.

Their playing partners Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa look strong on paper and are also tied for 28th, but their score was helped by Morikawa holing out from 94 yards on the 13th. They may not be a polished foursomes article.

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