We all love a little walk-up music. That's just one of the many unique pieces of the puzzle that makes up the Zurich Classic. The only official partner event on the PGA TOUR, 80 teams will be competing this week for $8.6 million dollars in purse money.
Pet Dye's TPC Louisiana has been the host course of the Zurich for some time. The event switched to a team event in 2017 with the inaugural winners being Jonas Blixt and Cam Smith! Yes, they rolled in New Orleans with a pre-tournament odds of +10000 (100-1).
TPC Louisiana looks like a tough ticket on paper. One of the ten longest courses on the PGA TOUR, there are eight holes where water comes into play and 106 bunkers! Dye's design has four Par 4s over 470 yards and a brutal set of Par 3s averaging a combined 0.25 strokes over par. Sounds a bit conflicting when you consider Schauffele and Cantlay's record scoring. Fact is these guys will go deep on the better ball days.
There are two different formats in play for the four rounds.
The format is fixed, but the weather forecast is not. For the third week in a row, we will face rain. Temperatures are predicted to start on Thursday in the low 80's and sink to the high 60's by Sunday. The wind will blow from the southeast for rounds one, two, and three. It then shifts on Sunday to challenge the guys and will blow out of the north. The rain is coming in on Friday afternoon and will really settle in on Saturday. Over an inch is predicted for the 36-hour period. This area hasn't seen much precipitation in April, but the course sits below sea level.
I saw first-hand in Hilton Head how a course can change overnight. I won't put a lot of stock into the weather since this is literally a track meet. Teams will need double digits to safely navigate the cut line. Only the top 33 teams advance to the weekend. The largest field on tour is also the most demanding to compete for more than 36-holes. Player familiarity with the course and format is a huge factor.
Who knows if a format like this will survive all the schedule changes of 2024. I would say enjoy the change of pace and keep the card tight. This week can be much like New Orleans; a mixture of fun and the unknown...
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Zurich Classic on TV:
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Team chemistry?
I'm going to keep the outright card tight in New Orleans for two reasons. First, we have a major championship for the LPGA. Second, after the top 5 teams on the odds board, we see a large drop off in total team strength. The last four winners of this team event had odds of +3300 (33-1) or less. The defending champions are +400 (4-1) and the favorites. Since we won't take Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay at that number, maybe we can learn a thing or two from their dominant 29 under par total last year.
Over a hundred bunkers, water on eight holes and they added 600 trees to the property since Hurricane Ida. Our outright teams are accurate, Pete specific, and playing very well. Let's take home another win this season with a team title.
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After 51 years in Palm Springs, the LPGA's first major championship has moved from the Coachella Valley to The Woodlands, Texas. The Chevron Championship will be played at The Club at Carlton Woods on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Even though each woman competing will be new to this course, I am not. The 2014 USGA Junior was played here. I was there with a student of mine and watched him lose to Will Zalatoris in the sweet sixteen. Zalatoris went on to win the national championship.
Having walked the course for five straight days watching elite players compete, I can convincingly say I know what it takes to contend on this Nicklaus course. Designed in 2001 by Jack, the course lacks a true signature. Much like many Jack designs, we have a bounty of bunkers and complicated putting surfaces. Throw in a scorecard over 6,800 yards and the players will wish they were back in Rancho Mirage, California jumping in Poppie's Pond!
Length will be a discussion when we get to the outright predictions. Length doesn't always have to do with the golf course. The Club at Carlton Woods is a huge housing community. Since nothing is small in Texas, this property is immense. The distance players must travel from hole to hole adds up. I know all of these women are in great shape, but this week is an endurance test, and some players are better at handling it than others.
When I was here for the US Junior it was July and unbearable hot. The weather this week will be quite different.
The winter and early spring have been on the cooler side in the Houston region. In the Superintendent's report, he commented several times about the lack of growth or return of the Bermudagrass. This leads us to believe the 2.25" of rough listed won't be as gnarly as it can be. This is the seventh event of the LPGA season. Only three of them have been full-field contests. Each of the top 20 Rolex World Rankings players are here, but some have barely played. One major championship contender has played only one event since last season!
We have a brand-new golf course, major pressure and all the bounty you can get from a Texas tournament. Chevron saved this event and plans to make the week special. I have no doubts. Which players will succeed? Keep reading to find out.
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Chevron Championship on TV:
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Queen's ranch
Jack Nicklaus' Signature Course at Carlton Woods is a well-rounded test. Where it lacks a bunker or two, you'll find water. The green complexes are complicated, and the LPGA can stretch this contest to whatever yardage they want. The world's best ball strikers are here to compete for $5.1 million dollars. Compete is the key word, and for many ladies it has been a sporadic Spring.
Several keys stand out in my mind about how to handle this golf course. I walked it for a week and watched competitors play both stroke and match play formats. It really didn't matter which style they played, they needed to do the following to win.
It sounds like you'll need every part of your game here to win. Yes, this is a major championship. Unlike the Chevron of year's past, this course can play much harder if they use the length. Power and grace are required to win alongside a deep self-belief. This course reminds me of recent majors played at Atlanta Athletic Club and Olympic. Big tough courses that cause the game's best to believe. I expect a great championship to kick off their major season and for these ladies to contend come Sunday on the back nine.
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