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.

Pair finished tied for eighth in last year’s tournament

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 28, 2025)—Scottish player Robert MacIntyre, who played collegiately for McNeese State in Lake Charles, LA, will team again with Belgian Thomas Detry in this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

The pair finished tied for eighth in last year’s tournament.

“They are both young but established European players who have found success on the PGA Tour, and who I’m sure are very focused on being part of the

European side for the Ryder Cup in September,” Worthy said.

“Their strong play over the last year and high world rank will make them a team to watch,” he added.

MacIntyre won twice on the PGA Tour last year, ironically both titles outside the U.S. He took the crown at the RBC Canadian Open, then won the Genesis Scottish Open, his home country’s championship. He became only the second player from Scotland to win his national tournament. Colin Montgomery was the first  in 1999.

He earned his PGA Tour card in 2023 by claiming one of ten cards for the leading players on the DP World Race to Dubai. With full status for the 2024 season, MacIntyre posted six top-10 finishes last year, including his two victories in Scotland and Canada, plus a tie for eighth in the PGA Championship

This season, he has posted four finishes in the top 15. His best so far was a tie for sixth in the WM Phoenix Open. He currently ranks 18^th in the world.

He has also won three times on the DP World Tour since he turned pro in 2017. As a member of the European Tour, he made his PGA Tour debut with a tie for sixth at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. That was the year Shane Lowry took his home country’s title.

MacIntyre finished that season as the top first-year player on the Race to Dubai rankings, which earned him the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.

He played in the 2023 Ryder Cup, posting a record of 2-0-1, helping his European team, captained by Luke Donald, win decisively in Rome over the U.S. squad 16 ½ to 11 ½ .

Thomas Detry, currently ranked 26^th in the world and 10^th in the FedExCup points, won his first PGA Tour title at this year’s WM Phoenix Open by seven strokes, the largest margin of victory on the PGA Tour this season. He opened the year with a tie for fifth in the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii.

Playing with Victor Perez of France, he tied for 13^th in the 2023 Zurich Classic, then paired with Macintyre to finish tied for eighth in last year’s event.

In addition to his win on the PGA Tour this year, he also won the Bridgestone Challenge on the DP World Tour in 2016, his rookie year as a pro.

Last year on the PGA Tour, he recorded four top-10 finishes, the best a tie for second in the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He held a share of the 54-hole lead in that tournament. He also finished tied for fourth at the PGA Championship, his first top-10 in a major.

He represented Belgium in the last two Olympics, finishing tied for 22^nd in Tokyo and tied for ninth last year in Paris.

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.

he 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^th hole 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

Morikawa has two major titles among his six PGA Tour victories

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 26, 2025)— Collin Morikawa, currently ranked fourth in the world, will team with Kurt Kitayama for a second consecutive year in the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Collin and Kurt posted some very low scores in the best ball format last year ,” said Worthy.  “Clearly they are comfortable with each other, and we are excited to have them repeat as partners,” Worthy added.

Morikawa is currently ranked fourth in the world and has been ranked as high as second in the world. He is also fourth in FedExCup points this season. He has posted two seconds and a tie for 10^th in the five tournaments he has entered. He finished tied for 17^th in the other two events this year.

Last season he posted eight top-10 finishes, including two seconds, one of which was the Tour Championship

He won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, both in his debut in those events.

Morikawa launched his professional career in 2019 with a tie for 14^th at the RBC Canadian Open, then tied for second at the 3M Open after leading the tournament at 54 holes. The next week he tied for fourth at the John Deere Classic to earn his PGA Tour card and went on to win his first PGA Tour title two weeks later at the Barracuda Championship.

He won the 2020 PGA Championship in August at Harding Park with a memorable eagle on the 16th hole in the final round. He then won the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship in February 2021.

He became only the second player to win a major and a WGC title before the age of 25. The other player to accomplish that feat was Tiger Woods.

Later that season, he won The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s for his second major title in two years. In the 2020-21 season he posted two wins, a second, fourth in the U.S. Open, three ties for seventh and eighth in the PGA Championship.

He also won the 2021 DP World (European) Tour Championship that year, the first American to take that title.

In his first Ryder Cup competition in 2021, he went undefeated, with three wins in team play and a half in singles. He also made the 2023 Ryder Cup team.

In the 2022 Presidents Cup, as a captain’s pick, he posted a record of 2-1, winning his singles match and splitting his two team matches.

In last year’s Presidents Cup, Morikawa went undefeated in team play with four wins paired with three different partners.

Morikawa was a three-time first team All-American at University of California where he was named 2018 Golfweek Men’s National Player of the Year and earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors in 2019. He also reached the number one position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He was named to the 2017 Walker Cup team, the 2017 and 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup squads and won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy.

He represented the U.S. in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing in an unprecedented seven-way tie for the bronze medal. The group was so large it had to be split in two for the playoff. He outlasted five of the contestants but lost the bronze to C.T. Pan of Taiwan on the fourth playoff hole when his putt slid just past the hole.

He represented the U.S. again in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, finishing tied for 24^th.

Kurt Kitayama won his first PGA Tour title in the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard by one stroke over Rory McIlroy. That season, Kitayama was also runner-up at the CJ Cup, finished tied for fifth at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and took a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship.

Last season he posted four top-10 finishes, including a solo fifth in the ZOZO Championship.

Earlier in his career, he won three times on the DP World Tour before returning to the U.S. to compete. He earned his PGA Tour card in 2021 at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, and four months later in February, 2022, he recorded a third place finish at the Honda Classic. In May of that year he posted a tie for second at the Mexico Open.

In college, he played for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas where he was named to the Academic-All Mountain West team three consecutive years.

His first hole-in-one was on a par 4, the 16th hole at Southern Highlands GC in Las Vegas.

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^th hole 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

Ryder Cup captains Stricker and Donald lead separate teams; Hoffman & Watney have partnered for every Zurich team event

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 18, 2024)—Three notable pairs with extensive team play experience have signed up to compete in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

The teams of Luke Donald and Francesco Molinari plus Steve Stricker with Matt Kuchar have played in two dozen Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions in their careers. Combined, they have played 14 times in the Ryder Cup, and the Americans have competed 10 times in the Presidents Cup.

In addition, Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney will play together for the seventh consecutive time in the Zurich Classic. They have played together each year since the tournament adopted the team format in 2017.

“These three pairs are all experienced team players in both our tournament and international competition ,” said Worthy. “All of them know the four-ball and foursome formats as well as anyone in the world today, ” he added.

Steve Stricker & Matt Kuchar

Steve Stricker has won 12 times on the PGA Tour, including the World Match Play Championship, Memorial Tournament and Tournament of Champions. He appeared on five Presidents Cup teams (1996, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013) and played on the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup teams.

He has captained two winning American teams in international competition– the Presidents Cup in 2017 and the Ryder Cup in his home state of Wisconsin in 2020.

His most successful season on the PGA Tour came in 2009, with three victories and a runner-up finish on the money list. He spent more than 250 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking, reaching a career-high world ranking of No. 2 in September 2009 at age 42.

He won the Payne Stewart Award in 2012.

He moved to the Champions Tour in 2017 and achieved near-immediate success. He has won 17 Champions events in 68 starts. In addition, he has finished in the top 10 an unprecedented 58 times. In his first season on the Champions Tour, he posted one second and three thirds in six starts.

Last season on the Champions Tour he won six times, finished runner-up five times and made top-25 in all 16 of the events he played. This season he has started five times with four top-10 finishes.

Previously in the Zurich Classic, Stricker partnered with Jerry Kelly in 2017 and 2018 with a best finish of a tie for 14^th. He tied for fourth as an individual in New Orleans in 2000.

Matt Kuchar has posted nine PGA Tour wins and two international victories in his career that started in 2001.

Playing with Harris English, he won the Franklin Templeton Shootout twice and the QBE Shootout once, both of which are unofficial team events.

He made five consecutive Presidents Cup teams from 2011-2019 and four consecutive Ryder Cup teams from 2010-2016. He also played on three World Cup teams, two Arnold Palmer Cup squads and represented the U.S. in the Walker Cup while in college.

He won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the first Olympic golf competition since 1904.

Luke Donald & Francesco Molinari

Luke Donald, captain of the victorious 2023 European Ryder Cup team, spent 56 weeks ranked number one in the world, seventh all-time. He has already been named European captain again for the 2025 Ryder Cup competition to be held at Bethpage Black in New York.

Born in England, he came to the U.S. to play collegiately for Northwestern University in Chicago, where he earned his degree in art theory and practice. He won the 1999 NCAA Division I Championship and made two Walker Cup teams for Great Britain and Ireland in 1999 and 2001, when he was 7-1 in the two events.

He earned his Tour card in 2002 and went on to  win five times on the PGA Tour to go with eight victories on the European Tour. In addition to his five titles, he has posted a remarkable 16 runner-up finishes and 42 top-fives in 424 events he has played on the PGA Tour.

He played for the European Ryder Cup team in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012. His combined record is 10-4-1 in Ryder Cup matches, going undefeated in 2006. He also played on the World Cup team in 2004, 2005 and 2006, winning the 2004 event paired with fellow Englishman Paul Casey.

His best finishes at the Zurich Classic were a third in 2012 and a tie for eighth in 2011. He tied for 23^rd in last year’s Zurich Classic, teamed with Edoardo Molinari, Francesco’s older brother.

Francesco Molinari has won five times internationally and three times on the PGA Tour, including the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. He also won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in 2009 teamed with his brother Edoardo, who served as Luke Donald’s vice-captain in last year’s Ryder Cup.

Francesco has made three European Ryder Cup teams and played in seven World Cup competitions. He became the first European to win all five of his matches in the 2018 Ryder Cup held outside Paris. That generated the phrase “Moliwood” referring his partnership with Tommy Fleetwood. The Molinari-Fleetwood team won all four of their matches against their American competitors.

Molinari then went on that season to become the first Italian to win the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, beating out—you guessed it—Tommy Fleetwood.

Francesco will be making his Zurich Classic debut this year.

Charley Hoffman & Nick Watney

Hoffman has won four times on the PGA Tour, and he recently played in his 500^th Tour event at the Valero Texas Open. Earlier this season, he lost in a playoff to Nick Taylor in the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. He has played in the Zurich Classic 16 times since 2006 with three top-3 and seven top-25 finishes.

Watney himself has started 483 PGA Tour events, with five wins, including the 2007 Zurich Classic. He too has played the Zurich Classic 16 times with three top-10 and eight top-25 finishes.

The two have partnered every year since the tournament adopted its team format in 2017. That year they finished tied for fifth, which tied for Hoffman’s best at the Zurich Classic.

Both players have made Presidents Cup teams, Hoffman in 2017 and Watney in 2011.

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 2023, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated a record $2.843 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:

• Over $2.843 million to charities in 2023, a new record
• Over $20 million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $30 million to charities in the last 20 years since Zurich became title sponsor
• Over $48 million to charities since inception of the Fore!Kids Foundation and its predecessors

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 20 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 Zurich Classic has over a $40 million estimated annual economic impact to the regional economy. Since Zurich became title sponsor in 2005, the tournament has generated more than $645 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 24-28, 2024, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2024 totals a record $8.9 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,286,050 and 400 FedExCup points.

All tickets to the 2024 Zurich Classic will be mobile entry only. Day-specific grounds tickets are only $40.  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 $175 per day, and the Walk-On’s Stadium Club will offer close-up viewing at the 17^th hole 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