Steve Palmer's Zurich Classic of New Orleans predictions & golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 7pm on Thursday

Best bet

Scottie Scheffler & Bubba Watson
3pts each-way 14-1 general

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Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer were thrown together in 2019 and ended up winning the Zurich Classic. A friendship was formed and they are back to defend their title two years later - the 2020 edition having been a victim of the pandemic - but recreating the magic might be difficult.

Rahm has obviously had other things on his mind - the clearly emotional Spaniard doubtless throwing himself into fathering duties after becoming a dad just before the Masters - and he may not be able to lead the pairing in the same fashion.

Rahm and Palmer do not seem to represent any value, while the same can be said of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Cantlay has missed the cut at Augusta and the Harbour Town Links in his last two starts - a pair of courses where he has thrived in the past - while Schauffele is making his first appearance since his spectacular triple-bogey Masters Sunday surrender at the 16th hole.

Cantlay and Schauffele won two points from four matches together in the 2019 Presidents Cup, but the Californian duo can be easily resisted at the skinny odds.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Scottie Scheffler & Bubba Watson 14-1

The most appealing pairing by far for the Zurich Classic comprises an experienced Major champion and one of the rising stars of the sport. Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters victor and winner of 12 PGA Tour titles, has teamed up with Scottie Scheffler in what could prove a dynamite duo.

Watson, a 42-year-old who has played in four Ryder Cups and two Presidents Cups, will naturally adopt captaincy status alongside Scheffler. Watson, who won the CVS Caremark Charity Classic pairs events alongside Camilo Villegas in 2008, is a QBE Shootout regular and knows all about the best strategies for pairs golf.

Watson can also be relied upon to deliver sound course-management advice to Scheffler with regards to TPC Louisiana. Watson, fifth on his Zurich Classic debut in 2007, won it in 2011 when it was a standard strokeplay event. He finished 18th and 15th in his two subsequent Zurich starts as an individual, and has played in all three of the pairs events there, making the cut every time.

Watson tied for fifth place with JB Holmes as his partner in the 2017 Zurich, then 28th alongside Matt Kuchar, and 34th with Holmes in 2019. An in-form Scheffler is an upgrade on his previous sidekicks - and Watson has every right to be excited about the week ahead.

Scheffler, a two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion who finished fourth in the US PGA last year, has been threatening a PGA Tour breakthrough all season. He is arguably the best maiden on the circuit and a runner-up finish in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at the end of last month provided further evidence.

Scheffler came through matches with Jason Day, Andy Sullivan, Schauffele, Ian Poulter, Rahm and Kuchar in the Match Play, losing only to Billy Horschel, then 18th place was a decent effort in the Masters last time out.

Watson also took heart from the Masters - being part of the Green Jacket club and attending the Champions Dinner always does wonders for his self-esteem - and 26th place was a solid follow-up to a run to the last 16 of the Match Play.

On a long course where churning out greens in regulation is the traditional route to success, Scheffler and Watson should take all the beating.

Teams to note

Billy Horschel & Sam Burns
The 25-1 about Horschel and Burns is tempting. The WGC-Match Play champion won the 2018 Zurich Classic alongside Scott Piercy - and Burns is a Louisiana lad who makes bundles of birdies.

Cameron Smith & Marc Leishman
The Australian duo are close friends who will be looking forward to this event more than most teams. Smith, tenth in the Masters and ninth in the RBC Heritage, won the 2017 Zurich with Jonas Blixt as his partner.

Doug Ghim & Justin Suh
The young guns are full of birdies and could make a significant impact in the best-ball rounds, but can the inexperienced pairing avoid cardbusters in the alternate-shot format?

Louis Oosthuizen & Charl Schwartzel
The South Africans, both Major champions, bring a wealth of experience and pairing comfort to the course. They finished third together in the 2018 Zurich.

Collin Morikawa & Matthew Wolff
The world number four, who flopped in the final pairing of the Heritage last Sunday, will probably need to be at his best as Wolff has badly lost form and confidence this year.

Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson
A fast start in the Masters restored some confidence to Rose, but Stenson has endured a miserable 2021. These two have been awesome together in the Ryder Cup, but Stenson is difficult to trust at the moment.

TPC Louisiana course guide

Course TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana
Prize money $7.4m ($1,051,200 to the winner)
Length 7,425 yards
Par 72
Field 80 teams of two
Format This is a four-day team event, with no individual prize. The pairs play best-ball competition (both players play their own ball, with only the best score on each hole counting towards the 72-hole total) in rounds one and three, and alternate-shot competition (one player in the team hits a shot, then the other player, until the ball is holed) in rounds two and four
The cut The top 35 teams and ties will qualify for round three

Course records (individual strokeplay)- 72 holes 266 Justin Rose (2015) 18 holes 62 Ben Martin (2014); (pairs-play)- 72 holes 261 Jonas Blixt & Cameron Smith (2017) 18 holes best-ball 60 Retief Goosen & Tyrone van Aswegen (2017), Kevin Kisner & Scott Brown (2017), Chez Reavie & Lucas Glover (2018), Marty Dou & Xinjun Zhang (2018), Brian Gay & Rory Sabbatini (2019); 18 holes alternate-shot 65 Jon Rahm & Ryan Palmer (2019)

Course winners taking part (individual strokeplay) Nick Watney, Andres Romero, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose, Brian Stuard

Course winners taking part (as a pairing) Jon Rahm & Ryan Palmer

When to bet By 1pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 7pm on Thursday

Time difference Louisiana is six hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - RBC Heritage 1 S Cink (150-1), T2 H Varner (140-1), E Grillo (70-1), T4 M McNealy (225-1), C Conners (33-1), M Fitzpatrick (30-1), T7 C Kirk (66-1), C Morikawa (20-1)

Spectator quota 10,000 per day

Course type Parkland

Course overview The TPC was designed by Pete Dye in 2003 and it made its PGA Tour debut in 2005. It staged its second Zurich Classic in 2007 (Hurricane Katrina ravaged the track in 2006) and has been the tournament's venue ever since. It became a pairs event in 2017 and coronavirus meant there was no 2020 edition, so 2019 victors Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer are the defending champions. The rough is fairly light and there are fewer trees to negotiate since the hurricane, but five water hazards and more than 100 bunkers keep the players on their toes. The par-fives (the second, seventh, 11th and 18th) are all in range and excellent chances for birdie. The 18th is the most difficult of the quartet, though, with a large lake down the right side. The 482-yard par-four fourth hole and the 215-yard par-three 17th are traditionally the most difficult. The 16th is a risk-reward, driveable par four of 348 yards, with water in front of the green.

Story of 2019 Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer finished three shots ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia

Weather forecast Sunny Thursday and Sunday, but cloudly with the potential of some light rain on Friday and Saturday. Temperatures around 20C for the first two days, climbing to 25C over the weekend. Hardly any breeze throughout

Type of player suited to the challenge Greens in regulation is the theme which runs through the victors at TPC Louisiana, with finding the right sections of the heavily undulating dancefloors the key to going low. Quality approach-play is the key to success. The new team element favours players who have competed in the same format in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and QBE Shootout

Key attribute Accuracy

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