Golf Tips: Best bets for Zurich Classic of New Orleans and ISPS Handa Championship

• Steve Rawlings' backs Burns and Horschel at 21/1

• English pair backed at 109/1 in New Orleans

• Dave Tindall says Jazz can find early rhythm in Japan

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Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Will class acts prosper again?

Steve Rawlings says: "Practice buddies and defending champions, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, are firm favourites and deservedly so.

"They won very easily 12 months ago having debuted together in 2021 when finishing tied for 11th and having finished third and fourth at the RBC Heritage on Sunday, the pair are in tip-top form.

"Having finished only tied 29th last year when going off favourite alongside Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa returns with Max Homa as his partner. Homa finished tied 21st alongside Talor Gooch, who now plays on the LIV Golf Tour.

"Morikawa has been playing fairly nicely this year but after a top-ten finish at the US Masters, he finished only tied for 31st at the RBC Heritage and Homa appears to have cooled off considerably since finishing second to Jon Rahm at Riviera and sixth in the Players Championship in March.

He signed off the US Masters with a 78 on Sunday to finish 43rd and he didn't make the weekend at Harbour Town.

"Sam Burns and Billy Horschel are back again, after finishing second 12 months ago (beaten by two) and they're my idea of the best value at anything above 20.0."

Find Me a 100 Winner: English pair can turn a trick

Matt Cooper says: "There was a time when the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was an individual event held at English Turn and Englishman Lee Westwood tasted victory there in 1998.

"Fellow countryman Justin Rose added another win in 2015, at the current venue TPC Louisiana, and might a couple of outsiders add to the English haul of wins?

"Matt Wallace was a recent winner on the PGA Tour, at the opposite-field Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and he has opted to pair up with his fellow North Londoner Callum Shinkwin.

"They played together in the Hero Cup (winning one, losing one, halving another) and must have enjoyed the experience to recreate it."

Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Course and current form stats

Andy Swales says: "Laid out on low-lying delta wetlands, TPC Louisiana covers more than 250 acres and is dotted with more than 100 bunkers.

"Water comes into play on eight holes, including each of the last three and, although rough is not a major issue when compared to many PGA Tour venues, the greens are heavily undulating.

"Although nowhere near as tiny as the putting surfaces experienced by the pros at Harbour Town last week, those in New Orleans are slightly smaller than the Tour average...

"Si Woo Kim & Tom Kim, the Korean duo, seek glory in the Deep South. Although neither of these two are in sparkling form right now, sometimes it's the combination of talent and chemistry which ignites an inspired performance - as is often witnessed in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup."

LIV Golf - Adelaide Tips: Marc off the Leish on the sandbelt

Matt Cooper says: "Cameron Smith is unafraid of playing in wind (another constant of both sandbelts), he the reigning Open champion, he's won in front of adoring home fans before (in fact he did so last November) and he'll be motivated.

"On the other hand he's finished outside the top 20 in his last two LIV starts, closed the Masters with a pair of 75s, and hasn't quite fired when playing alone on the Melbourne sandbelt.

"He did finish second at The Metropolitan in the 2018 World Cup, however, playing alongside his good friend Marc Leishman and he's the top pick this week. He'll get plenty of questions and plenty of cheers this week, but a little less insistently than Smith.

"He's also had a better year, albeit he hasn't quite produced the finish his good golf has hinted he might - he was sixth in the Saudi International, T15th at Mayakoba (top 10 all week) and T13th in Tucson (when the 18 and 36 hole leader)."

ISPS Handa Championship: Birdiefest expected at generous Nicklaus layout

Steve Rawlings says: "Rasmus Hojgaard heads what is a very open market, and he has some form at Jack Nicklaus tracks.

"The Dane finished third in the English Championship at Hanbury Manor in 2020 and third in the Cazoo Classic at the London Club in 2021 but we haven't seen him in action for two months.

"I'm away for a few days so there'll be no Find Me a 100 Winner piece this week but I do quite like one outsider - Calum Hill.

"The 28-year-old Scot looked to be going places when he got off the mark on the DP World Tour at the 2021 Cazoo Classic, around the Nicklaus designed London Club but his career derailed after that after an insect bite caused all sorts of issues.

"He's shown bits and pieces of form since and he opened and closed the Jonsson Workwear Open with a pair of 66s last time out. I thought he was fractionally over-priced at 130.0."

ISPS Handa Championship Each-Way Tips: Ashun can Wu Ishioka

Matt Cooper says: "Prior to becoming the very fine winner of four titles on the DP World Tour, China's Ashun Wu had proved himself with two victories in Japan.

"He first had a crack at the country's circuit in 2010 and struggled, but when he returned two years later the top 10s started to rack up and the first win came in the Toshin Golf Tournament, soon followed by fourth place in the Japan Open.

"A year later he very nearly defended that first win, shortly before adding a second triumph in the Heiwa PGM Championship...

"He'll arrive in a country with good memories a little irked to have missed the cut at the Kenya Open when defending that title, but his form has been solid this season, taking in ninth at the South African Open, T20th at both the Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and T12th in the Singapore Classic."

ISPS Handa Championship First-Round Leader Tips: 50/1 Jazz gets the vote

Dave Tindall says: "Jazz Janewattananond played a full season on the Japan Tour in 2019 and racked up a string of top fives.

"And he seemed to enjoy his return to the country in 2021 when opening the Olympic Men's Golf tournament with a 64 to sit second after day one.

"I'm hoping for something similar this week when he sets foot on Japanese soil once more and his recent form suggests he could hit the ground running again after a trio of top six finishes on the Asian PGA Tour.

"In the first of those, Jazz opened with a 65 to lie third after 18 holes in the International Series Thailand while he showed his ability to go low with a 62 in round two of last week's International Series Vietnam.

"With confidence high, the Thai looks a decent shout at 50/1 to have a piece of the first-round lead. He tees off at 11.50am local."

ISPS Handa Championship 2023: Form stats

Andy Swales says: "Host venue, PGM Ishioka Golf Club, was designed by Jack Nicklaus and over the years has staged a number of professional tournaments...

"PGM Ishioka is a traditional parkland course, with tight tree-lined fairways and sizeable water hazards on seven holes.

"Good course management, as well as accuracy off the tee, are two vital ingredients needed by anyone wishing to prosper this coming week...

"Christiaan Bezuidenhout makes a surprise appearance in Japan, having flown in from South Carolina where he tied-for-19th on Sunday on the PGA Tour."