They join Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who will defend their title

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 17, 2025)—Rising young star Akshay Bhatia will pair with Carson Young for the 2025 Zurich Classic announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament. Recognizable for his rail-thin build, Bhatia has climbed into the top 30 in the world.

“This is another promising young pair,” Worthy said. “Akshay has two wins on the PGA Tour and has Walker Cup team experience, and Carson has shown some strong play over the last year.  They should be fun to watch,” added Worthy.

Newly crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shane Lowry, ranked 15^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

Once the youngest U.S. Walker Cup player in history, Bhatia ranks 26^th  in the world and has already won twice in his brief PGA Tour career that began fulltime in 2023. Both his victories came in playoffs, the 2024 Valero Texas Open against Denny McCarthy and the 2023 Barracuda Championship over Patrick Rogers.

So far this year he has posted three top 10 finishes, the best a tie for third in The Players Championship.

In addition to his second PGA Tour victory last year, he also tied for fifth in the Traveler’s Championship and tied for second in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Prior to winning the 2023 Barracuda Championship in his first full season on the PGA Tour, he posted a solo second in the Puerto Rico Open, a solo fourth in the Mexico Open and a tie for ninth in the Barbasol Championship the week before his victory.

Bhatia was a member of the 2019 Walker Cup team that defeated Great Britain and Ireland 15 ½ to 10 ½ after trailing 7 ½ to 8 ½ going into the final day singles, when they won eight of the 10 matches played.

He was the youngest member of that U.S. team. At 17 years old and still a senior in high school he became the youngest and first high school student ever to represent the U.S. in the Walker Cup. At the time he was fifth in the world amateur rankings.

He also represented the U.S. on the  Junior Presidents Cup in 2017, the Junior Ryder Cup in 2018 and the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics where he won two silver medals.

Carson Young earned his PGA Tour card for the 2023 season and posted two top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes in his first full season.

Last year he was runner-up by a single stroke in the World Wide Technology Championship. His second-place finish in that tournament capped a promising season that recorded six top-25 finishes, of which three were in the top 10.

This year his best finish has been a tie for 10^th in the Puerto Rico Open.

As an amateur, he played for Clemson University for four years and turned pro after completing his college career. He won the South Carolina Amateur in 2013 and repeated as champion in 2016. He also won the individual state championship back-to-back in his junior and senior years in high school.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

 Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

 

They join Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who will defend their title

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 16, 2025)—Austrian player Sepp Straka, ranked 17^th in the world and second in FedExCup points, has teamed with two-time PGA Tour winner Brice Garnett in this year’s  Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Sepp Straka has won multiple titles and has both Ryder Cup and Olympic experience,” said Worthy. “Brice Garnett has also won twice on the Tour, so they have experience closing out golf tournaments,” he added.

Newly crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shane Lowry, ranked 15^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

Straka won The American Express earlier this year and continues to play solid golf. In 10 starts, he has posted seven top-25 finishes, of which three have been top-10s. In addition to his victory in January, he tied for seventh in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitation presented by Mastercard. Both tournaments were so-called signature events on the Tour.

He earned his first career victory in 2022 at The Honda Classic, becoming the first player from Austria to win on the PGA Tour. He began playing on the Tour in the 2018-19 season and became one of eight rookies to make the FedExCup Playoffs.

In 2023 he finished tied for seventh in the PGA Championship and tied for second in The Open Championship

He and Garnett partnered to finish tied for 11^th in last year’s Zurich Classic.

Straka was a member of the 2023 Ryder Cup team that defeated the U.S. in Rome. He has also represented Austria twice in Olympic golf. In the 2024 Paris Olympics he finished tied for 35^th. He finished 10^th in the 2020 Olympics after leading the first round with a 63, tied for the lowest score in Olympic golf history.

Straka’s partner Brice Garnett has won twice on the PGA Tour, most recently the 2024 Puerto Rico Open when he won a playoff against Erik Barnes.

So far this season, his best finish was a tie for 11^th at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

In 2018, he won the  Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship wire-to-wire after a 63 in the first round.

Later that season, he teamed with Chesson Hadley to lead at 22-under during the final round of the Zurich Classic, but they were overtaken on  the back nine to finish tied for fourth. The partnership with Hadley was made up of the top two finishers on the combined 2017 Korn Ferry Tour regular season and finals money list.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

 Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

They join Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who will defend their title

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 15, 2025)—British brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick will return to play the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this year, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Both brothers have international team experience,” said Worthy. “Matthew has played for three European Ryder Cup teams, and his younger brother Alex represented the GB&I side in the Walker Cup twice,” Worthy added.

Newly crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shane Lowry, ranked 15^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

The Fitzpatrick brothers tied for 11^th in last year’s Zurich Classic after tying for 19^th the year before. They were featured in an entire episode of the Netflix series Full Swing in 2023, with several scenes of their play in the Zurich Classic.

Matt Fitzpatrick earned his first PGA Tour title in 2022 on one of golf’s biggest stages—the U.S. Open. His victory came at The Country Club, where he also won the 2013 U.S. Amateur. He became only the second player to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur on the same course. The first one was Jack Nicklaus. He was also the first English player to win the U.S. Amateur since Harold Hinton in 1911.

His victory at the U.S. Open in 2022 continued his trajectory of success in his short PGA Tour career since earning his card in 2019. He posted 10 top-10 finishes in 20 events played in 2022, including a tie for second at the Wells Fargo Championship; a tie for fifth at the FedEx St. Jude Championship; and a tie for fifth in the PGA Championship.

He followed that up in 2023 with victories at the RBC Heritage in the U.S. and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Europe. He scored six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour that season, including a tie for seventh in the year-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions, a tie for second in the BMW Championship and a tie for ninth in the Tour Championship.

Last year, he posted three top-10s, including a solo fifth in The Players Championship and a tie for fifth in the Memorial Tournament.

He turned professional in 2014 after a year playing collegiately for Northwestern University. While he was still in college, he became the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1930 to hold low amateur titles at The Open Championship and U.S. Open at the same time.

He qualified for the European Tour in late 2014 and in June, 2015, finished third in the Lyoness (Austrian)  Open, took second in the Omega European Masters and earned his first victory at the British Masters in October that year.

He went on the win another six European Tour titles, including the DP World Championship in 2016 and 2020 and the Omega European Masters in consecutive years 2017-18.

He made the European Ryder Cup team in 2016, 2020  and 2023 and played on the Walker Cup team in 2013 when he posted a 3-1 record for the losing GB&I team.

Alex Fitzpatrick, Matt’s younger brother, plays on the DP World Tour. He turned pro in 2022. He finished tied for 17^th in The Open Championship 2023, posted a second in the ISPS Handa World Invitational and tied for eighth in the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

Last year, his best finishes were a tie for 16^th at the Hero Dubai Classic and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour. This year his best has been a tie for 25^th in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Alex played four years for Wake Forest and competed in the Walker Cup for the Great Britain-Ireland team in 2019 and 2021. He was also selected for the Arnold Palmer Cup international team in 2020 and 2021. He was the fourth-ranked amateur in the world before he turned pro.

About Fore!Kids Foundation: 

 Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

They join Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who will defend their title

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April XX, 2025)—Sahith Theegala and Aaron Rai have teamed to play the 2025 Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“It’s fun to see two players who both want to represent their respective sides in the Ryder Cup this fall team up.  Both are ranked in the top 30 in the world and have shown consistent, quality play for a few years, ” said Worthy. “Each has won on Tour and they should be a very strong team., ” Worthy added.

Newly crowded Masters champion Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shame Lowry, ranked 15^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

Theegala, currently ranked 27^th in the world, enjoyed his best season ever in 2024, finishing third in FedEx Cup standings. He recorded nine top-10s with two runner-up finishes.

He started the year fast with a second at The Sentry in Hawaii to open the 2024 season. He took fifth in the WM Phoenix Open, tied for sixth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and tied for ninth in The Players Championship. He closed out the year with a solo third in the Tour Championship, firing a 64 in the final round.

He broke through with his first title at the 2023 Fortinet Championship. In his first PGA Tour tournament in June 2020, he took 14^th in the Safeway Open and secured his card for the 2021-2022 season by finishing sixth in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. In 2023, he teamed with Justin Suh to tie for 23^rd in the Zurich Classic.

He and Wyndham Clark both qualified as rookies for the six guaranteed spots on the 2024 Presidents Cup team based on their FedExCup points during the year. He posted a record of 1-1-1 in the U.S. 18.5-11.5 victory over the International team at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Theegala was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine University. His collegiate career was cut short by the 2020 Covid-19 suspension of competition, when his team was ranked first in the U.S. In 2020 he was awarded the Haskins Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award, only the fifth college player to win all three in the same year.

Aaron Rai, who hails from Wolverhampton, England, won last year’s Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour victory since joining the Tour in 2022. He also holds five international wins on his professional record.

He currently ranks 28^th in the world and rose to 20^th last year after a tie for fourth in the DP World Tour BMW Championship won by Billy Horschel.

He has posted four top-15 finishes so far this season. His best finish was a tie for fourth in the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld. He also tied for 11^th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

In addition to his title at the Wyndham Championship, he scored a total of six top-10 and 13 top-25 finishes during the 2024 season.

In the Zurich Classic, he has played with David Lipsky the last three years, with finishes of a tie for fourth, a tie for 13^th and a tie for 23^rd in 2024.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

Clark is ranked tenth in the world and was ranked third this time last year

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 9, 2025)—Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023, will team with Taylor Moore in the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Wyndham has won at the highest levels with victories in a major championship and two signature events,” said Worthy. “Both he and Taylor have had success in the Zurich Classic playing with different partners, so this partnership should be a strong one,” he added.

Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shane Lowry, ranked 13^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

Clark has found success in the past at the Zurich Classic, with a third in 2023 after a tie for 10^th the year before and a tie for 17^th in 2021. He was forced to withdraw from the tournament last year due to a family medical issue.

He is currently ranked 11^th in the world following his tie for fifth in the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He was ranked as high as third in the world at this time last year.

He has posted three other top-25 finishes this season after an extremely successful year in 2024, when he scored eight top-10s with two seconds and a victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He took a solo eighth in the season-ending Tour Championship.

He won the rain-shortened 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after posting a 60 in the third round, the first score that low at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The next month, he took second alone in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Later in March, his 17-foot putt to force a playoff in The Players Championship spun around  and started a descent into the cup before defying gravity and resting on the putting surface, leaving Clark tied for second.

In addition to his U.S. Open victory in 2023, he also won the Wells Fargo Championship and posted five top-10 finishes, including a third in the season-ending Tour Championship.

Clark started full-time on the PGA Tour in the 2018-19 season and became one of eight rookies to qualify for the BMW Championship in the fall that year.

He earned a spot on the 2023 American Ryder Cup team and posted a 1-1-1 record at Marco Simone Club in Rome. Last year he posted a record of 1-2-1 in the successful defense of the Presidents Cup played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.

As an amateur, he was a finalist for the Byron Nelson Award and was a two-time Colorado state champion. He was named Colorado Player of the Year in 2011.

In college, he started playing for Oklahoma State, finishing ninth in the 2013 U.S. Amateur. He then transferred to the University of Oregon in 2016. At Oregon, he won the Pac-12 conference championship and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Taylor Moore, Clark’s partner this year, finished tied for fourth at the Zurich Classic in both 2022 and 2023, playing with Matthew NeSmith.

He won the 2023 Valspar Championship for his lone victory on the PGA Tour. This year he has recorded two top-10 finishes, a tie for seventh in The American Express and a tie for ninth in the WM Phoenix Open.

Last year he tied for second in the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the first runner-up finish in his PGA Tour career. He also tied for 12^th in the PGA Championship, one of eight top-25 finishes he recorded last year.

In 2022, he qualified for the FedExCup playoffs in his rookie season that included a tie for fifth in the Wyndham Championship to go along with his tie for fourth in the Zurich Classic.

In college, he was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2012-13 at Arkansas.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 7, 2025)—Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard, twins from Denmark, will compete in this year’s Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Both the brothers have international experience in team play,” said Worthy. “That should serve them well, and I’m sure it has to be a special experience to get to partner with your brother in a team setting. We are excited to have the Højgaard twins back in New Orleans together,” Worthy added.

Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and first in FedExCup points, has teamed again with Shane Lowry, ranked 13^th in the world, to defend their title in this year’s Zurich Classic. They will be joined by Collin Morikawa, fourth in both world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama in the event April 24-27.

The Højgaards are the first set of twins to play together in the Masters and the first brothers since Eduardo and Francesco Molinari played together in 2012. Nicolai received a special invitation and Rasmus qualified via the top 50 on the 2024 year-end Official World Golf Ranking.

One of the other brother pairs in Master history was Jay and Lionel Hebert of Lafayette, LA, who played in the same Masters from 1956-1968, the longest streak of any brother duo.

Both Nicolai and Rasmus excelled as amateurs, with Nicolai reaching number five in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The brothers turned professional in 2019 after leading Denmark to that country’s first Eisenhower Trophy in the World Amateur Team Championship. They played Foursomes together for Europe in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup.

The Højgaards are the first brothers in the history of the DP World Tour to win titles on consecutive weeks. They also became the first twins to compete in The Open Championship in 2023.

Rasmus became the first player born in the 21^st century to graduate from the European Tour Qualifying School. He claimed his first European title right after that, winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in his fourth start at 18 years and 271 days old.

He has won five international titles, including the European Masters in 2021. He earned his PGA Tour card after winning last year’s Amgen Irish Open to finish in the top 10 of the DP World Tour. Playing parttime on the PGA Tour in 2022, he scored two top-10 finishes, with a sixth in the Corales Puntacana Championship and a tie for tenth in the Genesis Scottish Open.

A week after Rasmus’s third European victory, his brother Nicolai took his own first title at the Italian Open. A last-minute wild-card entry, Nicolai birdied the final hole to finish one stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.

On last year’s PGA Tour, Nicolai took sole second in the Farmers Insurance Open. The season before, he posted a second at the Corales Puntacana Championship and a tie for sixth at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Nicolai played on the victorious 2023 European Ryder Cup team. In November of that year he won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, firing a 64 in the final round. He has won four times on the DP World Tour.

Nicolai finished seventh in the 2024 Paris Olympics after tying a course record with a 62 in the third round.

About Fore!Kids Foundation: 

 Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

Dunlap won The American Express as an amateur, then took a second title as a pro last year

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 3, 2025)—Two of the new, young generation of stars in professional golf, Will Zalatoris and Nick Dunlap, have teamed to play together in this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Nick has already won two titles, one as an amateur, in his first season on the PGA Tour,” said Worthy. “Will had great success prior to injury and bounced back extremely well in 2024 after missing nearly a full season from major back surgery, ” Worthy added.

Zalatoris was forced to withdraw before the first round of  the 2023 Masters when he suffered a herniated disc in his back. He was ranked eighth in the world at the time. He lost the rest of the entire 2023 season and started 2024 ranked 43^rd.

Earlier, he burst on the PGA Tour to earn full-time membership for the 2020-21 season on the strength of three top 10 finishes in the majors–a second in his debut at the Masters, a tie for sixth in the U.S. Open and a tie for eighth in the PGA Championship. In 2022, he did even better in the majors with a tie for sixth in the Masters, a tie for second in the U.S. Open and a second in the PGA Championship when he lost a three-hole playoff.

He scored a total of eight top-10s and 14 top-25 finishes in only 25 events in his first season on Tour and ran away with the Arnold Palmer Award for Rookie of the Year honors before he even earned his full-time card.

He followed up that brilliant rookie season with his first victory in 2022 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but then was forced to withdraw from the following week’s BMW Championship when his back problem first appeared. Before that happened, however, he had posted three runner-up finishes and nine top-10s, including a tie for fourth in the 2022 Zurich Classic, teamed with Davis Riley.

He returned healthy on the Tour in 2024 and tied for second in The Genesis Invitational and tied for fourth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. So far this year, in seven tournaments he has posted three top-25 finishes, the best a tie for 12^th in The American Express.

As an amateur, he won the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. In college, he played for Wake Forest on the Arnold Palmer scholarship and was named first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2017.

He made the Walker Cup team that year and contributed to a 19-7 U.S. win over the Europeans by going 3-1 in his matches. That American team included Collin Morikawa, Cameron Champ, Doug Ghim and Maverick McNealy, all of whom compete on the PGA Tour today.

Nick Dunlap will be making his debut at the Zurich Classic this year, his first full time year on the PGA Tour.

He started 2024 with a victory at The American Express while still an amateur playing on a sponsor’s exemption. He became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991. Along the way, he posted a 12-under 60 at La Quinta Country Club in the third round to hold a three-shot lead entering the final round. The event marked his fourth PGA TOUR start, and he turned pro four days later.

He then went on to win the Barracuda Championship in July for his second PGA TOUR title of the season and became the first player in PGA TOUR history to win as an amateur and a professional in the same season.

Dunlap also scored seven top-25 finishes last year, including a tie for fifth in the BMW Championship of the FedExCup Playoffs.

He easily won the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season.

Before his meteoric rise in professional golf, Dunlap was recognized as an outstanding athlete when very young. He was a finalist in the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition in 2013. When he was 12, he shot a round of 59 during a junior tournament that he won by 13 strokes.

e won the Alabama State Junior Championship in 2018 and the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur title in 2022, which gave him an exemption to the U.S. Open that year. He was subsequently named the 2021 AJGA Boys Golfer of the Year and ranked the number one junior golfer in the class of 2022. He played on the winning U.S. 2023 Walker Cup team.

He won the 2023 U.S. Amateur to become only the second golfer in history to win both the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur titles. The first was Tiger Woods. He is the first amateur player to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur, and a PGA Tour event. Even Tiger Woods did not do that.

About Fore!Kids Foundation: 

 Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:

 Zurich Insurance has sponsored the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for 21 years, one of the longest title sponsor relationships on the PGA Tour. The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA TOUR season. Since launching the team format in 2017, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has drawn some of the highest-ranking fields for any regular-season tournament on the PGA TOUR.

The 2024 Zurich Classic had over a $59 million economic impact to the regional economy. Since Zurich became title sponsor in 2005, the tournament has generated more than $700 million in estimated economic activity for the New Orleans community.

With 42 hours of total television coverage on Golf Channel and CBS, a total of 13 million viewers tuned in to watch the tournament.

Internationally, PGA TOUR coverage of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is available across 148 countries and territories via local broadcast partners, and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the days of professional competition.

The tournament will be played April 21–27, 2025, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2025 totals a record $9.2 million.

All tickets to the 2025 Zurich Classic will be mobile entry only. Day-specific grounds tickets are only $45. In addition, the Best of the Zurich Class Pass offers a variety of dishes from some of New Orleans most famous restaurants at three locations across the TPC course starting at $185 per day. The Walk-On’s Stadium Club offers close-up viewing at the 17^thhole in the only two-story, air-conditioned tent on the course. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com

Horschel is only player to win both individual and team titles at Zurich Classic

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 26, 2025)—Billy Horschel, the only player to claim both individual and team titles at the Zurich Classic, will go for a third in 2025, paired with PGA Tour veteran Tom Hoge, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

Earlier this week, Horschel drained a snaking putt listed at 17 feet but looked a lot longer to vault his Atlanta Drive GC team to the first SoFi championship in this year’s inaugural season of the TGL golf league.

“Billy has shown consistent success in the Zurich Classic,” said Worthy. “In addition to his two wins, he finished tied for fourth in the 2021 Zurich Classic and earned a solo second the following year in New Orleans, so we always expect to see him on the leaderboard, this time with a great partner in Tom Hoge,” Worthy added.

Indeed, Horschel has found consistent success in the Zurich Classic. In 13 appearances at the Zurich Classic, he has earned just more than $3 million.

Currently ranked 20^th in the world, Horschel rebounded from a disappointing 2022-23 season when he sank as low as 91^st in the world. He rebounded strongly in 2024 when he won the Corales Puntacana Championship and posted 13 top-25 finishes during the year. In addition to his victory in Mexico, he tied for second in The Open Championship; tied for seventh in the Texas Children’s Houston Open and the Wyndham Championship; tied for eighth in the PGA Championship and tied for tenth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

He also won the BMW PGA Championship last year on the DP World Tour, his second title in that tournament after winning in 2021.

In his career he has won eight times on the PGA Tour and twice on the European Tour. He scored his first career Tour victory in 2013 at the Zurich Classic, with a memorable 26-foot putt on the 72nd hole. That culminated a four-tournament streak when he finished tied for second, tied for third and tied for ninth in his first full season on the PGA Tour.

The next season, he followed up with one of the most torrid closing stretches in PGA Tour history in the 2014 FedExCup Playoffs. He finished second in the Deutsche Bank Championship, then went on to win the BMW Championship and capped the playoffs with a win at the Tour Championship by Coca Cola to take the overall FedExCup.

At 27, he became the youngest winner of the FedExCup. His final round of 68 in the Tour Championship was his 12^th consecutive round in the 60s, the longest streak of sub-70 rounds in PGA Tour history.

In 2018, Horschel paired with Scott Piercy to win the Zurich Classic again., this time as a team. Horschel and Piercy defeated the team of Pat Perez and Jason Dufner (himself a former Zurich Classic winner) by one stroke.

As an amateur, Horschel was a three-time first-team All-American at the University of Florida. He was named to the 2007 and 2008 Arnold Palmer teams and the winning 2007 Walker Cup squad that included Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Webb Simpson. Horschel posted a 3-1 record in that year’s competition, helping the U.S. squad to a narrow one-point victory.

He also made the U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2022, ranking 11^th in qualifying points.

Hoge, currently ranked 19^th in FedExCup points, most recently tied for third in The Players Championship.

He enjoyed an outstanding season in 2022-23 when he posted 12 top 25 finishes in 33 events. At The Players Championship that year, after making the cut on the number, he carded a third-round 62, the lowest single round score in tournament history.

He won the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his first official victory on the PGA Tour. He also recorded a team win in the unofficial QBE Shootout playing with Sahith Theegala. He tied for ninth in the 2022 PGA Championship.

At the Zurich Classic in 2018, he tied for tenth, teamed with J.J. Henry, and he tied for 13^th in 2023 teamed with Harris English.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and several charitable golf tournaments.

In 2024, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $3.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Charitable contributions have been rising in recent years:

• $3.3 million in 2024
• Over $22.9 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $51 Million to charities since inception

More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.