By Joel Beall
The team-centric Zurich Classic of New Orleans returns this week. The PGA Tour’s only team event is now in its fifth year, transforming a tournament that was often lost in the post-Masters doldrums into one of the more captivating showcases of the spring. This year’s field boasts a number of star squads in Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay and defending champs Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman.

However, the intrigue doesn’t stop at the marquee attractions. We compiled our favourite teams for this week’s Zurich Classic, a list fueled by our winning prediction, curiosity and sheer excitement.

Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland

The favourites, and for good reason: only Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith have enjoyed better seasons than these two. Both rank inside the top 10 in SG/approach (Hovland third, Morikawa seventh) and birdie average (Hovland fourth, Morikawa eighth), and Hovland had a good run at last year’s Zurich with Kris Ventura before a final-round 78 submarined their title hopes. Their short-game struggles could make the alternate-shot portions of the event a bit dicey. Still, their collective muscle is simply too great to overlook.

Scottie Scheffler and Ryan Palmer

It’s been three years since this observation …

Love that journeyman Ryan Palmer has played with Jordan Spieth (twice!) and Jon Rahm at tour’s only team event, simply by asking them before anyone else had the chance to. Lesson to all high-school guys: if you wanna go to prom with the pretty girl, pop the question in October

— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) April 28, 2019

Palmer went on to win the 2019 event, allowing him to run it back with Rahm in 2021 (the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic) and this year he’s playing with … check’s notes … world No. 1 and reigning Masters champ Scottie Scheffler. Don’t get us wrong, Palmer has enjoyed a prosperous career, making more than 450 tour starts and racking up $30 million in total earnings. Conversely, it’s a résumé that pales in comparison to those of his Zurich teammates. Perhaps it is a byproduct of Palmer’s audacity and gumption, or maybe other players procrastinate in teaming up. Personally I like to think the young guys look at Palmer as golf’s version of Robert Horry, a veteran who brings good vibes and always comes up clutch. Whatever the reason, keep shooting your shot, Ryan.

Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira

Pereira ranks 22nd in SG/tee-to-green in his rookie season on tour and enters the Zurich 41st in the FedEx Cup. That standing could be higher if Pereira could hole a putt. Despite ranking 14th in approach and 12th in GIR percentage he’s 155th in birdie average. Though Niemann is not a player known for his short-game prowess he does make the most of his opportunities, ranking 10th in scoring and 18th in birdie average. If a bit of that can rub off on Pereira, watch out.

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman. Mike Ehrmann

We could discuss Smith’s campaign, which has seen him go from top-30 player to vying for world No. 1. We could discuss Leishman’s super sneaky solid year (24th in strokes gained, 14th in birdie average) and how his massive odds for the Open Championship seem like a sound investment for those that would like to retire early. We suppose we should discuss these two are the defending champs. Instead, we like to make our annual appeal to the Zurich Classic to change Saturday’s format to a scramble (to see how stupid low these guys can go) and Sunday to worst ball or reverse scramble (for chaos).

Bubba Watson and Harold Varner III

Varner is no longer the little engine that could, contending at the Players and the RBC Heritage and logging a top-25 finish in his Masters debut. He still needs to figure out the final round (91st in Sunday scoring), but he’s close to a big-time breakthrough. As for Bubba, it’s fair to wonder at 43 how much gas is left in the tank, and the results in just six starts this year haven’t been promising. However Bubba is at his best when there’s an emphasis on creativity, and though TPC Louisiana does not necessarily lean into that forte, the event’s format does. Coupled with Watson’s history at this course (including a win in 2011 and T-8 last year) expect ‘good Bubba’ to show up this week.

Adam Hadwin and Adam Svensson

Big fan of guys with the same names teaming up. Frankly, it’s appalling that none of the 11 Camerons are together this week.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele

Whatever the over/under is on Ryder/Presidents Cup mentions with these two, bang the over. Cantlay and Schauffele finished T-11 at last year’s Zurich, betrayed by a 74 on Friday. Schauffele is having an odd season, ranking 17th in strokes gained but turning in just one top-10 in 10 starts. Who better to get right with than Cantlay, coming off a runner-up finish in Hilton Head and owning five top-10s in just nine outings. And because we have nothing else to add: There’s no word if walk-up music is returning to the Zurich, so in case officials are waffling on the idea, let’s just say that while we appreciated the effort, unless it’s in front of a Ryder Cup first-tee amphitheater, the entrance songs do more harm than good.

Max Homa and Talor Gooch

They’re right next to each other in strokes gained (Homa 25th, Gooch 26th), and there’s a formidable balance in their games. Homa has been better off the tee, Gooch is able to keep the big numbers at bay, both have been efficient with their second shots. Though Gooch’s FedEx Cup standing (fifth) is mostly the result of a strong autumn, he has remained quietly solid in 2022 boasting a T-7 at Bay Hill and a T-14 at Augusta National with Homa not far behind with five top-20s in eight starts this year.

Jay and Bill Haas

Jay and Bill Haas. Cy Cyr/PGA Tour

We had to confirm with tournament officials but that is indeed the Jay Haas, winner of nine tour events, captain of the 2015 United States Presidents Cup team and father of Bill. Jay checks in this week at 68 years young, so we don’t want to hear another word about Tom Brady still playing in the NFL at 44. Of course, Jay has some work to do to become the oldest player to tee it up at a tour event; that honour belongs to Jerry Barber, who appeared in the 1994 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines two months shy of his 78th birthday.

Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia

After a rough few years Tommy is showing signs of revival, posting seven top-25s in his last nine starts. Plus, he has a solid track record at this event with a runner-up and T-4. As for Garcia (who earned a silver medal with Fleetwood here in 2019), he’s been OK halfway through the tour season, ranking 44th in strokes gained. Then again, this is a man who transforms from a very good player into a tour de force at team events. Don’t be surprised to see these Ryder Cuppers contending on the weekend.

Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley

Look, since this tournament went to a team format the common mistake has been the infatuation of young guns joining forces only to see said young guns fail to make the weekend. We say that to say this: There is no scenario where Zalatoris (T-6 or better in four of seven starts; first in SG/tee-to-green) and Riley (23rd in birdie average, runner-up at the Valspar last month) don’t win this by six shots.

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The post Our 11 favourite teams at the 2022 Zurich Classic appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — The security guard—a smaller, older gentleman, his posture drooped by time—proclaimed it the best parking lot in golf, which seemed odd. Yes, it was a beautiful space, a sprawled-out field dotted with palms trees hugging the sand and waters. Still, his words sounded ominous in the moment, like a restaurant boasting not of its menu or service or views but its napkins. Thankfully, they would prove to be anything but.

The Puerto Rico Open bills itself as the “most fun tournament on the PGA Tour.” (Shots fired, Phoenix.) A banner greets spectators with this motto in the fan zone, and that spirit is pervasive throughout the grounds. It is an official Tour event that carries alternate status with the WGC-Mexico Championship being played nearly 2,200 miles away. Yet nothing feels minor about it.

Indisputably, things are different, drastically so in some cases, from a “normal” Tour event. Almost all those variances are positive. After spending a week in Rio Grande, here are five observations—more like revelations—from the Puerto Rico Open.

A distilled experience

The ambience of the Puerto Rico Open is less like a Tour event and more like your club’s member-guest. There are no grandstands, just one set of suites on the 18th hole. Only a handful of scoreboards can be seen on the grounds at the Grand Reserve at Coco Beach. Prior to the weekend, on any given hole there are no more than 10 fans to be found … many with none at all. (More on this in a moment.) During Wednesday’s pro-am, players rode in carts. Oh, and there is no media center. Instead, a room in the clubhouse located right across from player dining is the de facto hub. That doesn’t mean much to you, dear reader, but given there’s a bathroom between the two, this layout on a weekly basis would lead to multiple player-writer incidents, mainly them dunking us in a toilet.

Which is not a bad thing! (Not the bullying, but the rest of the paragraph.) Intended or not, the spartan approach leads to a distilled, refined focus on what’s happening inside the ropes rather than out. “Pure” and “professional sports” are rarely compatible in 2020. Puerto Rico is one of the beautiful anomalies.

Unparalleled access

Tuesday to Friday, there is no Tour stop that has fewer spectators than Puerto Rico. That includes the Hawaii events, the Tour Championship, even other alternate events. Early in the week, I asked a man in the service crew what was going on, and he replied it’s not good for Puerto Ricans to take a weekday off. “We have to work,” he noted, said in earnestness and instantly making me feel guilty for playing hooky the past decade during the first week of March Madness.

This is fantastic news if you’re a zealous fan. No, the big names weren’t there, but you could follow budding star and eventual winner Viktor Hovland; up-and-comers like Maverick McNealy, Kristoffer Ventura, Doug Ghim, Robby Shelton and Will Gordon; 2018 Ryder Cupper Alex Noren; and the man who defies all labels, Kiradech Aphibarnrat. Hell, watching any player good enough to be on a Tour range is mesmerizing. Due to the aforementioned lack of crowd, in Puerto Rico it’s often just you and them. Much as I detest autograph hounds, for those seeking someone’s signature, this is the place to go.

Swag. Oh, the swag

Here’s the dirty secret of Tour apparel: It’s all the same. Same brands, same designs, same colors. The only change week-to-week is what corporate-sponsor logo is plastered on the side of a sleeve or cap.

That is what makes the volunteer ensembles at the Puerto Rico Open nothing short of a masterpiece. The hats have white crowns with the tournament name in neon lettering, hugged by aqua blue netting panels. The bill has palm trees and a sunset, with the commonwealth’s flag plastered on the back. Somewhere, Duffy Waldorf smiles.

The shirts aren’t too shabby either, a strip of palm trees separating radiant green and white. As a volunteer noted, you don’t have to squint too hard to see the design as a beach sequence.

View of the 13th tee at the Puerto Rico Open. (Joel Beall)

Some may see it as tacky, but it’s distinctive and innovative without getting too experimental or abstract, and perfectly on brand. Your move, Travelers Championship.

What’s on the line

What spurred my trip to the tournament was not entirely altruistic. There’s not much access to players during major weeks, and their availability at rank-and-file events varies. Knowing I’d be likely the only mainland writer at the event, I figured I had the field at my disposal.

However, while many players were generous with their time, I noticed they weren’t exactly taking in the island’s casual vibes. Check that: Most had an edge to them, usually only seen at Augusta (because it’s the Masters, yes, but also because no one wants to get in trouble) or the weekend of the U.S. Open. On Wednesday, I walked with a player who I have a fairly good relationship with and asked him what was the deal.

“No one wants to be here,” he replied. “We are here because we have to be, because we don’t have status for next season. And there aren’t many points or money up for grabs. You have to be good this week, no lapses, to make it worthwhile.”

He is partially right: Only Martin Trainer, last year’s Puerto Rico Open winner, has exempt status after 2020, and he was back because he’s in a slump something fierce, missing 23 of his last 25 cuts, with one of those made weekends at the 34-player Tournament of Champions (he finished 34th). And obviously players would rather be at the WGCs, or already have enough FedEx Cup points to take a week of rest, than grinding it out in an alternate event.

There’s also another component in the equation. Most players who earn their tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour remain low on the priority ranking, only getting into events that those in the FEC 125 or recent winners pass on. There’s also a contingent of journeyman without cards trying to take advantage of one of the few opportunities they get to compete in a meaningful tournament. Innately they may not want to be in Puerto Rico, but they are glad for any tee time thrown their direction. That tension is palpable. Their careers, to an extent, are on the line. To watch who performs, and who panics, in this cauldron is as illuminating a competition as you’ll see.

A celebration, not a commercial

Because the tournament is sponsored by Puerto Rico’s tourism board rather than a company, there’s no product to push or insurance to sell. The island uses the event as a golf and travel vehicle, sure. But the essence of the tournament is a celebration of Puerto Rico.

Mentioned before, the event is relatively quiet at the start. Come the weekend, however, it’s a festival, a mix of golf fans and folks who stumbled into a fiesta. After all, you don’t hang a “Most Fun Tournament on Tour” banner in jest.

They are out to enjoy the weather and express pride that their island is hosting a world-class league. And, unlike Phoenix or other Ryder Cup events, they’re not obnoxious or rude or crass. The only charge is they’re occasionally overstimulated, not sure who to watch when, which leads to some movement in a player’s sight-line. If that’s a crime, lock up 95 percent of fans.

Best of all, come nightfall, the fan zone is rocking. Other events have their versions of this, all of which are nice. Conversely, there’s a lack of commercialism with Puerto Rico’s set-up. It is a party of the people, by the people.

Sitting on a car hood Saturday night, watching the sun escape over the beach as music and spirit permeate the Caribbean air, the security guard’s declaration returned. The Puerto Rico Open does have the best parking lot in golf. And does a lot of other things right, too.

The post Five revelations from ‘the most fun tournament’ in golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Beef ?Hovland #LuckOfTheDraw ??#ODDC @OMEGAGolfDubai pic.twitter.com/d0glMwwGQj

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 24, 2020

You know it’s about to get wacky when Beef draws a lob wedge off the tee. You can’t ask for a more sadistic combination than that. Hovland draws a four iron and puts in the fairway, but soon gets his comeuppance when a three iron rears its ugly head from the first cut from 127 yards. Beef follows that with the shot of the segment, somehow managing to hold a four-iron from 97 yards on the putting surface despite a downright disturbing lie.

After getting relief from the grandstands, nearly hitting it in the water, and coming a mere inch from holing a chip, Hovland picks it up for six, leaving Beef with a long putt from the back of the green for the win . . . with an eight iron, of course. After leaving it about six feet short, Beef pours in a two iron to halve the hole. Everyone goes home happy, albeit with some pretty fried nerves.

Overall, a pretty fun to way to kick off a pretty fun conceit. We hope to see more of this post-Dubai Desert Classic, perhaps at the Masters. Something tells us Augusta National will absolutely LOVE this sort of hi-jinx. In the meantime, feel free to try this at your local GC as long you don’t mind never being invited back.

The post Viktor Hovland and Beef draw random clubs out of hat, play Dubai Desert Classic’s 18th hole, chaos ensues appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.