Steve Palmer's Zurich Classic of New Orleans first-round preview, best bets

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf red button, 1.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Davis Riley & Will Zalatoris first-round leader
1pt each-way 35-1 bet365, Betfred

Joseph Bramlett & Maverick McNealy to win 7.36pm match
1pt 21-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Doug Ghim & Matthias Schwab to beat Taylor Moore & Matthew NeSmith
1pt 10-11 Betfair, Power

Preview

Chemistry is important in the Zurich Classic pairs event - and the partnership of Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley has it in spades. The former housemates are worth chancing to finish round one of the TPC Louisiana event in the lead.

Zalatoris and Riley are childhood friends who met in the final of the US Junior Amateur in 2014. Later when living in Texas together, they practised during the week with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, developing a competitive spirit which saw both players become Korn Ferry Tour stars.

Riley, explosive but inconsistent, may unsettle the pairing in the alternate-shot format of rounds two and four, but fireworks can be expected in the best-ball action of rounds one and three. A super-low Thursday effort from these two great pals would come as no surprise.

Riley, a two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion, has started to make an impact on the PGA Tour, losing a playoff to Sam Burns for the Valspar Championship a month ago. Zalatoris, a playoff loser in the Farmers Insurance Open in January and sixth in the Masters last time out, has been threatening Tour glory for longer.

From an 8.44am local-time launchpad - in calm, sunny conditions - Zalatoris and Riley can make merry.

Pick of the first-round matches options may be in the 7.36pm group - Maverick McNealy and Joseph Bramlett can defeat Wyndham Clark and Cameron Tringale. McNealy has not missed a cut for six months, while Bramlett's confidence was boosted by a final-round 64 in the Heritage on Sunday.

Doug Ghim and Matthias Schwab are tidy enough from tee to green to survive the foursomes sessions - and they appeal in a 72-hole match against Taylor Moore and Matthew NeSmith.

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