Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 12/1 to 35/1

Introduction to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

After the thrill of the US Masters followed by more Signature Series event drama at the RBC Heritage, it's a change of pace on the PGA Tour this week.

This annual pairs event once more takes place at TPC Louisiana, a par 72 Pete Dye track that measures 7,425 yards. It has plenty of water hazards and bunkers but, helped by the format, yields some very low scores.

American duo Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak won the event last year with 28-under, arriving at that total by shooting 62 (Thursday fourballs), 66 (Friday foursomes), 61 (Saturday fourballs) and 71 (Sunday foursomes).

The previous year, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry fired 61 (Thursday fourballs), 70 (Friday foursomes), 64 (Saturday fourballs) and 68 (Sunday foursomes) to triumph with 25-under so it's a similar story each year: shoot the lights out in fourballs and try and piece together and nudge your score up in foursomes.

McIlroy sits this one out so it seems Lowry has delved into his book of Florida contacts and teamed up with Brooks Koepka, who is playing the event for the first time since 2019.

Koepka and Lowry share favouritism with the in-form Fitzpatrick brothers, Matt and Alex, at 11/112.00.

Michael Thorbjornsen/Karl Vilips @ 12/113.00

Some pairs seem thrown together via random chats or even friendships between caddies.

But Michael Thorbjornsen and Aussie Karl Vilips were teammates at Stanford so are a natural partnership.

Interviewed on the PGA Tour website in 2024, Vilips said of Thorbjornsen, who topped the PGA Tour University Rankings: "It's really cool to see him do what he's doing; even when he was getting exemptions while in college, it was cool.

"Especially playing four years of golf with him, I was always super competitive. I was one or two shots behind him, and I was always striving to build my game around where those two shots were."

Thorbjornsen finished tied second at the John Deere Classic in just his third start but is still looking for his first win despite some big performances.

But Vilips is already a winner having landed last year's Puerto Rico Open with 26-under - proof that he can go low. 

We don't need to guess if they'll thrive in tandem in this event as they showed it last year when finishing in a tie for fourth. Their 25-under total was just three behind the winners.

Thorbjornsen has already finished third in Phoenix this season and he comes in off a closing 65 at the RBC Heritage where he ended 33rd.

Vilips actually shared 33rd spot at Hilton Head and that came two starts on from a top 20 in Houston so the 24-year-old Australian, who was born in Indonesia, is in decent form too.  

Bet 2: Marco Penge/Matt Wallace @ 16/117.00

This is a bit of a vibes pick but let's just say Marco Penge and Matt Wallace don't lack self-confidence.

And if the English duo get hot, it would be no surprise to see them really run the tables all the way to Sunday's finish.

After winning three times on the DP World Tour last season and earning himself a PGA Tour card, Penge has drawn plenty of attention on his debut season Stateside.

It hasn't always gone his way but there have been flashes such as the first 36 holes at Riviera and a fourth place at the Valspar. He also made the cut on his Masters debut.

Wallace has made his last four cuts and just two starts ago was runner-up in the Texas Open.

Like Vilips, he's the less vaunted player and yet is the one with a PGA Tour win.

That came in the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship.

Interestingly, Steve Rawlings in his preview has spotted that form in the Corales Puntacana and Puerto Rico Open cross over well with this event and that's encouraging given that Wallace won the former and Vilips the latter. 

Wallace has a couple of top 25s in his four Zurich Classics so will be able to show Penge the ropes and perhaps they'll bond further having been overlooked for the last Ryder Cup. 

Bet 3: John Parry and Dan Brown @ 35/136.00

Chemistry and friendship count for so much in this event so let's try another English duo - John Parry and Dan Brown.

The two Yorkshiremen are great pals and Parry gave some insight in an interview with the DP World Tour in February.

Both are having their first crack at the PGA Tour after earning cards and Parry revealed: "In Europe everyone tends to stay at the same place so you've always got people to eat and do stuff with.

"In the States you get given a car and can stay where you want so you don't really see anyone on an evening. That's definitely different.

"My wife isn't out with me and Dan Brown is out on his own as well. We live near each other and we get on well so that's been quite handy to have someone to hang out with."

But Parry hasn't just been along for the ride, he's played some excellent golf too. 

The man from Harrogate has made all nine cuts with best finishes of eighth (Puerto Rico), 14th (Texas Open on his latest start) and 19th (Sony Open).

Brown hasn't been as consistent but 19th at the Sony Open and a top 30 at Torrey Pines were decent knocks from the man who led the 2024 Open Championship after round one before finishing 10th. 

Now read Steve Rawlings' in-depth Zurich Classic of New Orleans preview

*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf