Davis Riley’s victory along with teammate Nick Hardy in the Zurich Classic was not a surprise to anyone who has followed Riley’s career. The 26-year-old turned pro with lofty expectations after starring at the University of Alabama, where he was the highest-ranked golfer in college before his junior season.

Riley also represented the US at the Junior Ryder Cup in 2014, where his teammates included PGA Tour stars Cameron Young and Sam Burns, and then again at the 2018 Palmer Cup.

Back as a 16-year-old, he also lost to Scottie Scheffler in the championship match of the 2013 US Junior Amateur at Martis Camp in Truckee, California. But how he handled that loss is worthy of being talked about.

Facing a difficult birdie putt from off the green on the 16th hole (the 34th hole of the 36-hole final), Riley noticed his ball had moved after he addressed it and called the penalty on himself.

“It took a lot of heart to do that,” Scheffler told the Reno Gazette-Journal after the match, which the 2022 Masters champ won, 3&2.

Of course, in golf where integrity is everything, nobody should be applauded for simply following the rules. But with not many onlookers in 2013, other teenagers might have played on without self-reporting the penalty.

This deserves to be talked about more:

In the championship match of the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur vs. Scottie Scheffler, Davis Riley called a penalty on himself on the final hole of their match. Riley was just 16 years old.

"It took a lot of heart to do that," Scheffler said… pic.twitter.com/94nCZBd3Hh

— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) April 23, 2023

We should all keep this story in mind as Riley continues to accomplish big things on the PGA Tour.

The post An admirable Davis Riley tale from when he lost to Scottie Scheffler as a junior golfer appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“This is so special and to share it with one of my best friends out here on tour is just a dream come true,” Riley said.

Davis Riley and Nick Hardy. Chris Graythen

Hadwin and Taylor shot 64-63 on the weekend, but it was not enough. They each collect $507,400.

Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler led by one over Sungjae Im and Keith Mitchell entering the final round, with Clark and Hossler both looking for their first PGA Tour victories too. But the duo could only muster a one-under 71 and finished in solo third place. Mitchell and Im shot 72 and finished sixth. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, 2022 Zurich Classic winners, tied for fourth place after consecutive 66s on the weekend.

As important as the victory is for Hardy and Riley, both are now exempt on tour through the 2025 season. They’re also eligible for the PGA Championship, the Memorial (a designated event) and next year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions and Players Championship (also designated events).

The overall purse for the week was $8.6 million. Here’s how much prize money every golfer who made the cut will earn this week at TPC Louisiana (all money is per player).

Win: Nick Hardy/Davis Riley, -30, $1,242,700
2: Adam Hadwin/Nick Taylor, -28, $507,400
3: Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler, -27, $332,175
T-4: Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay, -26, $261,225
T-4: Matthew NeSmith/Taylor Moore, -26, $261,225
6: Keith Mitchell/Sungjae Im, -25, $208,550
T-7: Si Woo Kim/Tom Kim, -23, $163,400
T-7: Sean O’Hair/Brandon Matthews, -23, $163,400
T-9: Martin Trainer/Chad Ramey, -22, $126,850
T-9: Vincent Norman/Matthias Schwab, -22, $126,850
T-11: Denny McCarthy/Joel Dahmen, -21, $93,632.50
T-11: Billy Horschel/Sam Burns, -21, $93,632.50
T-13: David Lipsky/Aaron Rai, -20, $57,777.67
T-13: Thomas Detry/Victor Perez, -20, $57,777.67
T-13: Michael Gligic/Taylor Pendrith, -20, $57,777.67
T-13: Byeong Hun An/S.H. Kim, -20, $57,777.67
T-13: Troy Merritt/Robert Streb, -20, $57,777.67
T-13: Harris English/Tom Hoge, -20, $57,777.67
T-19: Charley Hoffman/Nick Watney, -19, $36,120
T-19: SY Noh/Michael Kim, -19, $36,120
T-19: Taylor Montgomery/Kurt Kitayama, -19, $36,120
T-19: Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick, -19, $36,120
T-23: Henrik Norlander/Luke List, -18, $24,596
T-23: Luke Donald/Edoardo Molinari, -18, $24,596
T-23: Justin Suh/Sahith Theegala, -18 $24,596
T-26: Doc Redman/Sam Ryder, -17, $19,622.33
T-26: Joseph Bramlett/Brandon Wu, -17, $19,622.33
T-26: Matti Schmid/Dylan Frittelli, -17, $19,622.33
T-26: Patton Kizzire/Brendon Todd, -17, $19,622.33
T-26: Hayden Buckley/J.J. Spaun, -17, $19,622.33
T-26: MJ Daffue/Erik van Rooyen, -17, $19,622.33
32: Nicolai Hojgaard/Thorbjorn Olesen, -16, $18,318
33: Grayson Murray/Wesley Bryan, -14, $17,974
34: Hank Lebioda/Tyler Duncan, -13, $17,630
35: Fabian Gomez/Augusto Nunez, -12, $17,286

The post Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2023 PGA Tour Zurich Classic appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Joining forces to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was almost a decade in the making for Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, former AJGA All-Americans who were teammates in the 2014 AJGA Wyndham Cup.

“This is so special, and to share it with one of my best friends on tour is a dream come true,” said Riley after he and Hardy won for the first time on the PGA Tour with a victory in Avondale, Louisiana. “Just the progression of playing high school, college golf and now PGA Tour golf now is super special, and to be able to share it with this guy [Hardy] is pretty cool.”

With nine players among the top-10 teams on the leaderboard through 54 holes seeking their first PGA Tour victories, chances were good for a breakthrough story at the Zurich Classic, and Riley and Hardy wrote the final chapter in a record-setting win thanks to a brilliant inward 31 at TPC Louisiana. Capped by Riley’s 33-foot birdie putt from off the green at the par-3 17th hole, the duo shot a seven-under 65 in the modified alternate-shot format and finished at 30-under 258, breaking the tournament record of 259 set a year ago by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.

Riley, who called the victory “surreal” also had a near-ace at the 207-yard par-3 14th hole, his tee shot stopping two inches shy of the cup. They are the first duo to each record his first tour title at the event and they are the sixth and seventh first-time winners on tour this season.

The win took care of some unfinished business from the 2022 event for both players. Riley, 26, a Mississippi native and former Alabama All-American, was in the hunt last year before he finished T-4 with Will Zalatoris. The 27-year-old Hardy, meanwhile, injured his left wrist on the fourth hole of the final round, and though he managed to finish, he was sidelined for nearly two months on the way to missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The pair, who tied the tournament record with their three-shot comeback victory, collected $1.242 million each and 400 FedEx Cup points, and each moves into the top 40 in the season-long standings. In addition, they qualify for the PGA Championship and Memorial Tournament. Riley won in his 59th PGA Tour start, Hardy in his 51st.

Davis Riley is clutch!! ?@NickHardy8 and @DavisRiley68 extend their lead to two after the birdie on 17 @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/J4OX6vFEAx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 23, 2023

“I feel like we both handled it very well coming down the stretch. First timers, obviously. So to be able to do that together, kind of rub off each other’s confidence and sort of attitude,” said Hardy, an Illinois native and University of Illinois product, who set up his partner for the outright lead when he stuck a wedge approach from 129 yards to five feet at the par-4 16th hole. “It was definitely special to have a partner for the first one.”

Canada’s Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, World Cup teammates in 2018, closed with a 63, tying the alternate-shot record that Cantlay and Schauffele posted in the second round on Friday, but Taylor missed a five-foot birdie putt at the last and they settled for 28-under 260. Taylor collected his second runner-up finish of the season.

Beau Hossler and Wyndham Clark, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, came in with 71 to finish third at 261. Hossler and Clark were one of four teams bogey-free through 54 holes, but they suffered two late bogeys on Sunday at 16 and 17 to shoot themselves out of contention.

Cantlay and Schauffele bogeyed the 72nd hole but still carded 66 — giving them a better alternate-shot total by four strokes than their better-ball scores — to tie for fourth at 26-under 262 with Matthew NeSmith and Valspar winner Taylor Moore (69).

“Best ball wasn’t our best format this year compared to last year,” Cantlay said. “We both had some opportunities to save some pars and make some putts that we didn’t make this year. Coming down the stretch, I just hit a poor drive on 18 and put him in a bad spot. That was kind of the story of the week. We didn’t necessarily hit all the great shots when we needed to.”

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Though it’s one of the lower-profile tour events, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans can be something of a launchpad, a way for players to get a win under their belt and up their confidence. In some ways, it gives Sunday some interesting stakes. A clue into some potentially rising stocks, heading into the busy summer season.

The lovable duo of Keith Mitchell and Sungjae Im go into Sunday at 25-under, one shot back of Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler’s lead. Both teams shot 10-under 62 in the third round. And though Mitchell and Im may be trailing, their team chemistry is through the roof.

“I’m feeling really good about Sungjae’s golf game,” Mitchell said, before outlining the teams’ strategy for Sunday. “Laser beams and smiles.”

But jokes aside, Mitchell and Im are two players who came into the event in good form. They’ve combined for eight top-10s in 30 starts this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player pop into contention at a major or designated event.

While Zurich as a tournament doesn’t match the stature of those ambitions, it can provide players a delicious taste of victory, and a confidence boost during a crucial point of the season. There’ll be nerves down the stretch, and chasers at their tale.

How golf’s current odd couple handle the task of bringing a win over the finish line may well be an intriguing glimpse into the future for two of golf’s rising talents. On Sunday, they’ll have each other as a security blanket. But they may also serve as each other’s springboard for bigger and better things with a busy summer ahead.

Good momentum

Firing on all cylinders ?

Team Clark/Hossler finish the day in the solo lead @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/cL6Teb1FZc

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 22, 2023

Hossler and Clark are players pegged for big things early in their career, yet each is waiting for his first PGA Tour win. It’s a similar dynamic to the Im-Mitchell one, and one which Clark offered some intriguing insight into ahead of Sunday.

“It lightens the mood,” he explained. “Sometimes when you’re alone, it feels like you’re out on an island. When the momentum gets going bad, when you’re on your own, sometimes it’s tough to turn that. With a teammate, you can kind of feed off each other and really not allow that momentum to get going in the wrong direction.”

Momentum is the operative word in all of this. The Zurich Classic is, if nothing else, a birdie fest during the best-ball format. Like running on a treadmill, the only way to avoid flying backwards is springing full speed ahead. The pair shot a 10-under 62 on Saturday—and were matched by three other teams in the field. They won’t need to go that low in the alternate-shot format on Sunday, but there won’t be much leeway. It’s birdies or bust.

Bad momentum

Playing golf with a partner is, for lack of a more interesting description, fun. Well, most of the time.

As Mitchell and Clark explained, partnering up can lift your spirits when your teammate is playing poorly, and help slam the accelerator down when both of you are playing well. But when both players on a two-man team are stuck in neutral? That’s when fun goes out the window, and the whole thing gets frustrating in a hurry.

Just ask Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, who enter Sunday at 23 under and three back.

pair made the turn in six under on the day, then birdied their next two holes. Eight under through 11, into the lead and flying high.

“We were really just ham-and-egging it pretty good, birdieing opposite holes and stuff,” Hardy said..

Then, the handbrake came on. The pair parred their next six holes in what must’ve felt like an eternity for a team of two tour players. The only scant consolation was a birdie on the par-5 18th.

It wasn’t how Hardy and Riley would’ve wanted to finish, but it’s the alternate shot where the two may thrive. Hardy and Riley have been friends since they were 15 years old and playing AJGA tournaments together. They know each other’s games inside and out.

“We just have very similar games,” Riley said. “We’re both solid ball strikers. We hit lots of greens and we’re keeping it pretty stress free.”

The putts stopped dropping during the latter part of their round on Saturday, but stress-free ball striking will be just the ticket in alternate shot. In a week where Strokes Gained: Friendship seems to be something of a difference-maker, Hardy and Riley could have the edge.

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Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney have a lot in common. They are California guys in their 40s who have enjoyed very nice careers on the PGA Tour. Hoffman, 46, has four career wins in 475 events played, with a bankroll of nearly $33 million. Watney, 41, owns five victories in 463 appearances and has earned $29 million.

They’re friends, too, and that’s why they’ve paired up for all six editions of the Zurich Classic that have been played as a two-man team competition. They’ve done well, too, posting three top-11s, including a T-5 in the inaugural playing in 2017.

What they also have in common: White Men Can’t Jump syndrome.

In the third round on Saturday at TPC New Orleans, Hoffman pulled a 23-degree hybrid for his shot into the wind on the 210-yard ninth hole. As the tracer showed, the ball bulleted straight toward the flagstick. It took one bounce and rolled forward at perfect speed into the hole for the third ace of Hoffman’s career.

ACE ALERT @Hoffman_Charley couldn't contain his excitement after carding a 1 @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/ilbgAYom9z

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 22, 2023

Hoffman threw up his arms and let go of his club, and then he and Watney got their celebratory wires crossed, as they half-high-fived, half-chest-bumped themselves into laughable awkwardness. It was a “kids don’t try this at home” moment. Hoffman recovered nicely by running around and giving Watney a well-placed mid-five, and then moved onto the caddies and other players.

We’ll give them this: Rarely do PGA Tour players get to celebrate as a “team,” and it was a warm display of true joy.

On a day when they were playing best-ball among the twosomes, Team Hoffman-Watney had two eagles over the first 11 holes, with Watney coming up with his own bomb by pitching in from 54 feet for 3 at the par-4 11th. Alas, they were still in chase mode and tied for 20th.

The post Watch brilliantly awkward celebration after hole-in-one at Zurich Classic appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The defending champs are going to be tough to beat

Following an opening four-ball score of 67, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay needed a low score in foursomes just to make the cut. They did that and then some, firing a nine-under 63 to break the tournament record.

“We needed to be aggressive here in alternate shot, which is a little dangerous, especially if it gets windy,” Schauffele said. “So fortunately this morning we took advantage of really calm conditions and then played some of our better golf when the wind picked up a little bit. It was just necessary.”

Even the weather delay couldn’t deter the California pals, who entered this week as the favourites — and remain that way heading into the weekend.

“I think it’s just Xander is really good, and I can play well, too,” Cantlay said. “So when we get two guys together that are really good, and I think it helps that we’re friends, but when you get two world-class players playing together and we both have a day where we’re on like today, we can post a low one.”

In addition to the record score in alternate shot, their front-nine 30 also established a new tournament best. This after setting records for best four-ball score (59) and four-day total (29 under) during last year’s win.

“We’d like to get that 59 again in best ball,” Cantlay said. “We’re going to try.”

If they pull that off, everyone else will be trying for second place.

A pair of childhood friends take the lead

That being said, Schauffele and Cantlay don’t hold the 36-hole lead. in fact, they trail three teams, including the duo of Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler, whose bogey-free 67 put them at 16 under, one shot in front of the tandems of Sungjae Im-Keith Mitchell and Sam Ryder-Doc Redman.

While Schauffele and Cantlay have gotten close in recent years playing in Ryder and Presidents Cups, Clark and Hossler go father back.

“We’ve known each other since we were 10,” Clark said. “We’ve been friends for a long time, so that was not an issue. It was more we both didn’t have partners going into the LA Open at Riviera, and we were paired together the first two days, and we kind of were talking it through, and by the end of the first two days, we were like, all right, let’s play together.”

So far, that’s proved to be a smart decision. Although, that answer was followed by this funny exchange:
Q. How did you meet at that young age?
BEAU HOSSLER: Just junior tournaments. Obviously Wyndham grew up in Denver, I grew up in California, and obviously at that age it would be more of like a regional tournament, and then as we got older it grew into national tournaments, and then us being close to the same age, we played in college together and got on Tour probably within a year of each other. It feels like we’ve never not really been playing golf together.
WYNDHAM CLARK: Unfortunately.

Funny stuff, Wyndham, but if you guys team up to win your maiden PGA Tour titles, you’re going to be best friends forever.

The Fitzpatrick brothers cool down

OK, so no pair of teammates are tighter than these two — and they were the talk of the tournament after an opening 62. But a second-round 71 will put the Fitzpatricks five off the Clark and Hossler’s lead heading into the weekend.

The English pair only managed a pair of birdies, but finished with one to stay inside the top 20 on the leaderboard.

It’s still a good spot to be in, especially for Alex, who missed the cut in his only previous PGA Tour start at the 2022 Valspar Championship. So at the very least, the Wake Forest product will share a check with big brother. And considering how much Matt won last week, maybe he’ll let little bro have a bigger cut.

John Daly and David Duval probably won’t be playing together again

David Duval and John Daly. Jason Allen

At least, in this event. Golf fans were intrigued at this over-50 pairing, but it turned out to be a total disaster as the pair of major champs shot 83 on Friday to finish dead last. By a dozen shots.

Daly and Duval were playing because the Zurich has an unlimited amount of sponsor exemptions to round out the field. But while they may have drawn big crowds, we’re guessing their big numbers on the scorecard will make them a one-and-done entry.

Not that this was a surprise. Unlike. . .

A marquee pairing misses the cut

Schauffele and Cantlay may have been the pre-tournament favourites, but Collin Morikawa and Max Homa were a close second. And yet the pair of Cal Golden Bears will be hibernating this weekend.

A spectacular recovery shot by Morikawa on No. 10 set up a birdie that moved them on the cut line, but a disappointing eight pars to close kept them two shots off the number. And just one shot better than US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker.

If Morikawa and Homa want to partner again this fall in Rome, they better hope Johnson was too busy playing to notice.

The post Xander Schauffele-Patrick Cantlay’s record-breaking round, the Fitzpatrick brothers cool off, and a couple of childhood friends lead appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Last year Jay Haas became the oldest player in PGA Tour history to make a cut when he reached the weekend at the Zurich Classic at 68 years old while playing along side his son Bill in the two-man team event. Unfortunately for John Daly and David Duval, they could not replicate that senior-circuit magic this week in New Orleans.

There’s no doubting what Daly and Duval have accomplished in their careers, with the latter reaching World No. 1 and winning the 2001 Open while the former captured two majors and flourished as one of the game’s more colourful and popular personalities. But working together at the tour’s team-centric event at TPC Louisiana proved to be a rough go. After shooting a three-over 75 in Thursday’s best-ball format, Friday’s alternate shot proved to be too much of an obstacle for Daly and Duval to overcome.

With Friday’s times moved up due to incoming storms, the pair of 50-somethings teed off at 7am, opened with three bogeys and two doubles in their first six holes en route to an opening-nine 45. Though they somewhat righted the ship on the back, it was too late, turning in an 11-over 83, the highest alternate-shot score since the event turned to the team format six years ago.

If that sounds rough, well, it is: Daly and Duval finished dead last, 12 shots behind the next nearest team and 30 behind the leaders.

To those paying attention the result is not necessarily a surprise. Duval, 51, has not made a cut on the PGA Tour since the 2014-15 season while Daly, who turns 57 next week, has appeared in 10 PGA Tour events over the last four years, missing the cut in all 10 starts.

Also Duval and Daly had played multiple times in this event during their PGA Tour primes back when it was an individual stroke-play event, and neither had an incredible record. Duval played 13 times with a third-place showing in 1995. Daly played 11 times, but only finished all 72 holes twice.

For those wondering how Daly and Duval were in the field, the Zurich has an unlimited number of sponsor’s exemptions to round out its competition. The team event is not necessarily a format liked by all PGA Tour players, and the fact the tournament does not award Official World Golf Ranking points does not help. The Zurich was also hurt this year by the tour’s new designated-event series, as many stars passed on the New Orleans stop after playing at the Masters and RBC Heritage the previous two weeks. Though a case can be made that up-and-coming Korn Ferry Tour players should get the nods ahead of two de-facto retirees, the truth is it’s not necessarily easy to find 160 players to compete. Throw in Daly’s popularity and Duval’s name recognition and you have an idea of why these former stars were in the event.

The post The John Daly/David Duval experiment at the Zurich Classic did not go well. At all appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Im, who’s paired with Keith Mitchell at the team-centric Zurich Classic, chipped in for par on the duo’s final hole Thursday to turn in a 10-under 62, good enough for the early lead at TPC Louisiana.

“Sungjae’s golf game worked fantastic out there,” Mitchell said. “Unfortunately, he only made one bogey today, and I bogeyed the same hole. Other than that, we had a great time. He hit a bunch of laser beams and smiled, and I just tried to help when I could.”

The South Korean star led the team with six birdies on the morning, although the converted par chip at the par-3 ninth was especially clutch after both he and Mitchell found the water. For his part Mitchell played steady throughout the round, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 seventh.

“The team atmosphere, when you play well, it’s double as much fun and as exciting,” Mitchell said. “When you play poorly, it’s like worse because not only are you upset with yourself, but you feel like you let somebody else done. So I just think the emotions are pretty much double this week because you’re carrying both people’s highs and lows together out there.”

Luckily for Mitchell and Im, there were more highs than lows Thursday. And for those that stay off social media (and consider yourselves lucky), the “got that dog in him” phrase is often a nod to athletes who are mentally tough and perform in high-pressure situations. This sentiment already applied to Im, who has proved himself as the PGA Tour’s iron man over the past five years while becoming a top 20 player in the world. However, the phrase is also popular among fans of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Which, according to Mitchell, now includes Im.

“Sungjae taught me team captain in Korean because he’s my team captain,” Mitchell explained. “What else did we learn today? I taught him about Georgia football. Aren’t you a Georgia fan now?

“Georgia fan, Bulldogs,” Im replied.

That said, when asked if we should expect to see Im in the stands in red and black this autumn, Im responded: “Busy.” The man might be a part of Bulldawg Nation, but he still has his priorities straight.

Three other takeaways from Day 1 of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The Fitzpatrick brothers did not ham-and-egg it, thank you very much

Matt Fitzpatrick is fresh off a playoff win at the RBC Heritage but he is not running on fumes. Fitzpatrick is paired with brother Alex and together they posted a 10-under 62 to join Im and Mitchell in the early lead.

Alex, a decorated amateur at Wake Forest, is currently working his way through golf’s developmental tours. Given this reality compared to Matt’s, it’s easy to think the reigning US Open champ carried his brother on Day 1. That was far from the case, as Alex contributed five birdies to the cause.

“I don’t think he’s giving himself enough credit for the front nine,” Matt said. “I didn’t play very well, so it was nice for him to make a few putts and give us a few birdies while I was scrambling around somewhere. And then yeah, I played nicely on the back nine and I managed to roll in some birdies, which was great, and we kept it together towards the end and finished with a nice score.”

But, whatever you do, don’t call it a “ham-and-egg” performance.

“I hate that phrase,” Matt explained. “Ham and egg is so American, and we’re from England.”

“We dovetailed,” Alex said.

“Yeah, we did great. We did great,” Matt said. “I played really solid on the front nine, he played great on the back nine, and he bailed me out a few times, which was obviously very beneficial, and yeah, it was a great day”

Matt’s horizon is very much secured, but a big week would mean the world for Alex’s immediate future. Though both realise what’s on the line, the brothers seem to be enjoying the moment. “I guess I’ve been professional about a year, and it couldn’t be further away from anything else,” Alex said. “I had so much fun out there. It was extra special spending time with him and being on the course, but playing together and working together is a lot of fun, and yeah, it helps a little bit when you have a good score.”

Big start for Rai, Lipsky

Coming off the Masters and the RBC Heritage (which featured a loaded field thanks to its designated-event status), it’s understandable if some fans consider this week an “off” week of sorts on the golf calendar. But to many players it still means a heck of a lot. Look no further than Aaron Rai and David Lipsky as proof of concept.

Both Rai and Lipsky are former DP World Tour players, and though “journeymen” may be too harsh of a description, they are also far from established entities, at least in this part of the world. A good showing at the Zurich can go a long way into changing that dynamic, as the duo combined for an opening-round 62.

“I’ll be honest, it was all Aaron,” Lipsky said. “The guy played great today. I think he had like seven birdies and an eagle. I had a lot of birdie looks, too. Mine didn’t fall and his did, and that’s what this team format is all about is supporting each other and taking pressure off each other.”

Friday’s alternate-shot format could be a different animal, as both players tend to be weaker putters (Lipsky is 201st in SG/putting, Rai is 152nd). Nevertheless, Lipsky is looking forward to the challenge and views it as a chance to pay Rai back.

“I really like it. It’s fun. It’s hard,” Lipsky said. “You don’t want to let your partner down, so you’re always grinding and trying, and there’s never any give-up out there because, like I said, you really don’t want to let your guy down, especially after he made seven birdies and an eagle. I feel bad.”

Familiar face

Golf fans likely won’t see Tiger Woods again this season. Tiger’s caddie, however, will still be around.

Woods’ loop, Joe LaCava, is in attendance this week at TPC Louisiana, on the bag for Steve Stricker. While Woods’ absence could mean LaCava working for other folks this summer, LaCava’s only in New Orleans because his kid couldn’t make it.

“I asked his son first,” Stricker admitted. “I’ve had his son on my bag already this year. Delightful kid, Joe Jr. But he was working on the Korn Ferry Tour, I think for Brandon Hagy the next couple weeks and he couldn’t make it.”

Turns out LaCava is good friends with Zach Johnson, who is playing with Stricker this week, making it an easy answer for the elder LaCava. Although, according to Stricker, LaCava was “pretty upset” when he found out his son was asked first.

“He’s such a great guy, fun to be with, easy to be with,” Stricker said, setting the record straight. “Obviously is very good at what he does. We’ve been having fun with him so far.”

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David Lipsky and Aaron Rai prepare to putt on the ninth green during Thursday’s first round of the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Sarah Stier

By Ryan Herrington

There are ways to prepare for a PGA Tour event. Being involved in a car accident is not among those recommended.

Thankfully, David Lipsky wasn’t hurt, nor was anyone else in the fender bender the 33-year-old tour rookie was involved in Tuesday morning as he was driving to TPC Louisiana ahead of a practice round at the Zurich Classic.

Lipsky said that he was changing lanes to avoid a car ahead of him that was broken down when he was hit from behind by another vehicle. “Yeah, it was a little bit of a hectic beginning to the week,” Lipsky said.

Your @Zurich_Classic co-leader David Lipsky, who is teaming with Aaron Rai, already had an eventful week. He was involved in a car crash on Tuesday heading to the course. He said no one was hurt in the accident. pic.twitter.com/EobINlcQ4B

— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) April 21, 2022

Yet not so hectic as to keep him from sitting near the top of the leader board after the opening round on Thursday. Paired with England’s Aaron Rai, the duo shot a 10-under 61 during four-ball play to sit one off the lead after the morning wave.

Lipsky, a California native who lives in Las Vegas, made six birdies on his own ball in the best-ball format as well as holing out for an eagle from 113 yards on the par-4 eighth, the team’s second-to-last hole.

“David played some incredible golf, hit some shots really close, putted well,” Rai said. “And David made a lot of birdies, especially early on and around the turn, which really got things going for us.”

This is the first time Lipsky and Rai, also playing his first year on the PGA Tour, have competed in the Zurich Classic, and while it might not seem like the American and the Brit have much in common, the two had become friendly competing together on the DP World Tour the past half-dozen years. Additionally, their caddies often room together on the road, which is how the pairing came to be.

“It’s just a comfortable fit for us,” Lipsky said. “We know each other from the European Tour. So we always have that in common. I think it was meant to be.”

After earning his PGA Tour card via Korn Ferry Tour finals last fall, Lipsky had missed the cut in six of his first seven tour starts. Since then, the two-time European Tour winner made seven of nine cuts, including a T-7 finish at the Corales Puntacana Resort Championship in March.

Similarly, Rai, 27, had success in Europe, winning twice in the previous three years, before earning his card via the KFT Finals, but has been slow to find his footing on the PGA Tour. He’s posted just one top-10 finish (T-6 at Farmers) in 16 starts.

The comfort of sharing the load this week seemed evident on Thursday but will take on a different complexion Friday when the pair compete in alternate-shot play. “I’ve never played foursomes before,” Rai said. “So tomorrow will be the first time.”

How about Lipsky?

“There’s an event in Europe, it was called the GolfSixes. You only played like six holes. Every hole had like a different theme. One was alternate shot, one was best ball. So I played like two holes alternate shot like five years ago.”

With Lipsky already having an unusual week, perhaps not knowing what you don’t know will be a good thing.

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The post From car accident to Zurich Classic leader board, tour rookie Lipsky has already had an eventful week appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Fast forward 15 years and Horschel is a successful PGA Tour pro who still doesn’t hide his feelings on the golf course. If there’s a putter twirling in the air in frustration, the six-time winner is a likely culprit. (Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath at The Shotgun Start podcast have dubbed Horschel ‘Baton Boy’ for the number of times he gets his clubs airborne.) It’s got him into trouble at times, most notably at the 2021 Masters where a club-tossing fit caught on camera eventually required a public apology.

Horschel acknowledges, for better or worse, that he plays golf with a passion that’s hard to keep in check. He’s said he’s made a conscious effort in recent years to cool things down, but that he can’t inherently change who he is.

“My competitive fire burns the way it burns,” Horschel said ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he’ll compete along with Sam Burns in the two-player team event. “I wish I could … I’m not going to say I wish because I don’t think if I was this way it would make me a better player. But I envy Scottie Scheffler and some of these guys that they hit bad shots, they’re not playing well, you can’t tell. They’re just enjoying the game of golf and they’re having fun and laughing.

“I can be that way for a little bit, but it just runs way too hot inside me, and I can’t stand not being able to play to the level that I expect of myself on a day-to-day basis. There [are] times that it boils over, and you know what, it happens. I’ve apologised many times for it, and I’ll apologise in the future for it, too. But that’s me. I just hope people understand that not everyone is cut from the same cloth.”

Horschel’s 2021-22 PGA Tour season had included 11 starts, 11 made cuts, seven top-25 finishes — including a T-2 to Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational — but no wins. The close calls are tough to take and at some point, holding in his feelings becomes counter-productive. It’s why Horschel noted that he’ll continue to try to control his mood, but he won’t run away, even in the face of his critics.

“I think I’ve done a better job of handling it and trying to do it in a proper way, especially in a way that doesn’t affect anyone I’m playing with,” Horschel said. “Like I said, that’s me, and that’s the way it’s always going to be. This is going to sound blunt, it’s going to sound bad, but if you don’t like it, I honestly don’t care anymore. I’ve cared enough over the last 13 years of my career to try and please everyone that watches me, and you know what, I can’t do anything more. I’ve done everything I can. If you don’t like me for some reason, I don’t care anymore.”

The best part of the Zurich Classic is you’ve got a partner there to have you back. And Burns — more like Scheffler than Horschel in his own demeanor — did just that as his teammate paused.

“If he gets running too hot this week,” Burns joked, “I’ll just go give him a hug and calm him down a little bit.”

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The post Billy Horschel is done appeasing his haters: ‘If you don’t like it, I honestly don’t care anymore’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.