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

 

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

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 17, 2024)—Billy Horschel, the only player to claim both individual and team titles at the Zurich Classic, will seek an unprecedented third title, this time partnering with Tyson Alexander, the son of his college coach, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“In addition to his two wins, Billy finished second in the 2022 Zurich Classic,” said Worthy. “He also tied for fourth here in 2021, so he has had consistent success at TPC Louisiana ,” Worthy added.

Indeed, Horschel has found quite consistent success in the Zurich Classic. In 12 appearances at the Zurich Classic, he has won twice, took solo second once, tied for fourth and also took two top-15 finishes. Last year he and his teammate Sam Burns finished tied for 11^th.

Burns cannot play the Zurich Classic this year because his wife Caroline is due to deliver their first child the week of the tournament.

Horschel’s game is starting to show good results this year with a tie for ninth in the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, a tie for 12^th in the Valspar Championship and a tie for seventh in the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

In his career he has won seven times on the PGA Tour and once 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 teamed 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.

Horschel’s partner, Tyson Alexander, is a third-generation professional golfer. He is the son of Buddy Alexander, the legendary coach at University of Florida, where he mentored Billy Horschel and won two NCAA golf championships. Before taking the job at Florida, Alexander previously coached the men’s and women’s golf teams at Louisiana State University where he guided his teams to two SEC championships.

In his distinguished career as a player, he won the 1986 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Tyson’s grandfather, Skip Alexander, won three times on the PGA Tour. Recovering from life threatening injuries in an airplane crash, he famously won a Ryder Cup match by the largest margin in Ryder Cup history to that point, 8 & 7. He made the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1949 and 1951.

Last season Tyson took solo second in the Cadence Bank Huston Open and tied for eighth with a career low round of 64 in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship to earn his PGA Tour card for 2024. He partnered with Carl Yuan of China in last year’s Zurich Classic but missed the cut.

This season his best finish was a tie for 14^th at the Valero Texas Open. He also tied for 16^th in the Cognizant Classic.

Tyson won two tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour and one on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica on his path to fulltime status on the PGA Tour.

He played for the U.S. on the Palmer Cup team in 2010 when he went 3-1 in his matches to contribute to the 13-11 victory over the group representing Great Britain and Ireland. The matches were played in Ireland at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, where Shane Lowry would win The Open Championship in 2019.

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
• Over $20 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $48 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 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 economic impact to the regional economy. 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.

The pair finished third in last year’s Zurich Classic

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 16, 2024)—Reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark will team again with Beau Hossler in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

The addition of Clark, ranked fifth in the world, gives the 2024 Zurich Classic field four players in the top 10 and seven in the top 17 of Official World Golf Rankings.

“Wyndham has become a big game hunter, with a win in a major championship and two signature events since the 2023 Zurich Classic,” said Worthy. “ He and Beau held at least a share of the lead in each of the first three rounds before finishing third here last year, and we are thrilled to welcome them back,” he added.

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

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

He 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.

He earned a spot on the 2023 American Ryder Cup team and posted a 1-1-1 record at Marco Simone Club in Rome.

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 first played 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.

For Beau Hossler, his third-place finish with Clark at the Zurich Classic was one of five top-10 and 14 top-25 finishes last season.

His best finish so far this season was a tie for sixth at the Farmers Insurance Open.

He caught the attention of the golf world as a 17-year-old, when he briefly held the lead during the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open, finally finishing tied for 29^th as an amateur. He went on to win the Eisenhower Trophy and the Arnold Palmer Cup. As the 2014 Western Amateur champion, he was named to the 2015 Walker Cup team where he went 3-1 in a loss to Great Britain & Ireland.

Playing  for the University of Texas, he suffered a shoulder injury during the semifinals of the NCAA championships in 2016 and was unable to play in the finals, which University of Oregon won. His shoulder injury delayed the start of his professional career until 2017.

By 2018, he joined the PGA Tour fulltime. His shoulder had healed well enough to earn him two second-place finishes, including a playoff loss in the Houston Open in his rookie season.

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

 

Corey Conners teams with Taylor Pendrith and Nick Taylor pairs with Adam Hadwin

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 9, 2024)—Four Canadians have formed two teams to compete in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

” Three of these four have Presidents Cup experience,” said Worthy. “With the event in Canada this fall, we know how much they want to represent the International side on their home soil, and we are proud to have them here to get some team preparation in our format,” he added.

Taylor won this year’s WM Phoenix Open with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff against Charley Hoffman. He is currently ranked 13^t  in FedExCup points and 24^th in the world.

He has scored four wins on the PGA Tour, most notably the RBC Canadian Open last season when he became the first Canadian to win his country’s title since Pat Fletcher in 1954. He made a made a memorable 72-foot, six-inch putt to eagle to defeat Tommy Fleetwood on the fourth playoff hole.

He also become the fifth Canadian to win three or more career times on the PGA Tour. Last season he scored six top tens and 15 top-25 finishes out of 30 events he played.

 

He and his partner Adam Hadwin finished second in last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and he also took solo second in the 2023 WM Phoenix Open.

In addition to his victory at Phoenix this year, he scored a tie for seventh in the Sony Open and a tie for 12^th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

He won the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014, his first full season on the PGA Tour.

He played on the Canadian World Cup team in 2018, finishing tied for fourth among 28 countries competing.

As an amateur, he won the 2007 Canadian Amateur Championship and was runner-up in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. Playing collegiately for the University of Washington, He was a two-time All American and Pac-10 Golfer of the Year. He won the 2009 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and the 2010 Ben Hogan Award as the best college golf player in the U.S. In 2009 he was ranked the top amateur in the world for 20 weeks.

Hadwin, Taylor’s partner, won the 2017 Valspar Championship in his first full season on the PGA Tour. Earlier in that season he shot a 59 in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge and finished as the runner-up.

Last season, Hadwin scored no fewer than three runner-up finishes. In addition to his second at the Zurich Classic, he lost a playoff for the Rocket Mortgage Classic and took sole second at the Shriner’s Children’s Open. He also scored three top-10s and three more top-25 finishes in 2022-23.

So far this season, he has scored three top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth in The American Express, a tie for fourth in The Genesis Invitational and a tie for fifth in the Valspar Championship.

A native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, he played collegiately at the University of Louisville and was named a Kentucky Colonel. He played for the International team in the 2017 and 2019 Presidents Cup competitions. He currently ranks ninth in standings for the 2024 International team.

Corey Conners has won the Valero Texas Open twice, the first time in 2019 and again last season in 2023. So far this season, he has scored three top-25 finishes, with a tie for 13^th at The Players Championship his latest and best finish.

Last season he scored four top-10 finishes in addition to his victory at the Valero Open. In 2022, he tied for sixth in the Masters and took sole sixth in his native RBC Canadian Open that was won by Rory McIlroy.

This year will be Conners’s first appearance at the Zurich Classic since he tied for 30^th in 2019 playing with fellow Canadian McKenzie Hughes.

He played for the International team in the 2022 Presidents Cup that included two Canadian players. He also represented Canada in the 2020 Olympic games and made two Eisenhower Trophy teams in 2012 and 2014.

He played collegiately for Kent State where he studied actuarial math and was named a two-time Academic All-American.

Taylor Pendrith is still looking for his maiden PGA Tour victory, but this season he has finished tied for tenth in the Sony Open and tied for ninth in the Farmer Insurance Open.

Last season he scored four top-10 and eight top-25 finishes. His best was a tie for third in the Shriner’s Children’s Open last fall. He tied for 13^th in last year’s Zurich Classic, teamed with fellow Canadian player Michael Gligic.

He turned professional in 2014 and won twice on the Canadian Tour in 2019. After playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, he earned his PGA Tour card in 2021. The next year he recorded his best finish on the PGA Tour with a tie for second in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

He was one of the four Canadians who made the International Presidents Cup team in 2022.

In college, he played for Kent State alongside Corey Conners and McKenzie Hughes, all of whom made it to the PGA Tour.

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
• Over $20 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $48 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 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 economic impact to the regional economy. 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

schauffele is ranked 5^th in the world; Cantlay is 7^th

 EW ORLEANS, LA (April 4, 2024)—Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner currently ranked seventh in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked fifth in the world, to compete for another Zurich Classic title, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

Cantlay and Schauffele won the Zurich Classic in 2022 and tied for fourth in last year’s tournament, won by Davis Riley and Nick Hardy with a record score of 30-under-par.

“Patrick and Xander are two of the best players in the world,” said Worthy. “They have partnered successfully in both Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup competitions, and they won our tournament before, so we expect them to be among the favorites here this year,” Worthy added.

The pair won the 2022 Zurich Classic by two strokes over the team of Billy Horschel and LSU’s Sam Burns. Cantlay and Schauffele led after every round of that year’s tournament. They posted a tournament record first-round score of 59 in four-ball (better ball) to set the pace and went into the last day of competition five strokes ahead of the field. They also set the alternate shot record of 63 in the 2023 Zurich Classic.

In the 2022 President Cup competition, both Cantlay and Schauffele posted 3-1 records  for the winning American team. In the 2021 Ryder Cup, they won both matches when they were teamed together. Cantlay went undefeated in team play that year, halved his singles match and tied Collin Morikawa for second most points scored by an American player. Schauffele was 3-1 himself, losing only his singles match on Sunday.

In the 2023 Ryder Cup, both scored points for the American team, even in a losing cause.

Cantlay won the FedExCup in 2021 and earned the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA Tour Player of the Year on the strength of taking four titles in 2020-21: the ZOZO Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.

He was the only player on the PGA Tour to win more than twice that season and recorded seven total top-10s, making the cut in 19 of 24 starts. He won the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship back-to-back in the FedExCup Playoffs to take the 2021 crown.

In 2022, he successfully defended the BMW Championship in the FedExCup Playoffs. In addition to his two wins in 2022, he also posted three seconds, a third and a total of 12 top 10 finishes, winning a career-best $9,369,605 for the season. Two of his second-place finishes were playoffs.

In 2023, he scored ten top-10 finishes, including two seconds, two thirds and two fourths.

He earned his Tour card in 2017 when he made the cut in all 13 starts to fulfill his Major Medical Extension. Since going full time on the Tour, he was won eight titles in only seven full seasons.

His storied amateur career was highlighted by being named winner of the Fred Haskins Award in 2011 as the nation’s top collegiate player as well as the Jack Nicklaus Award as the Division I Player of the Year. He also won the Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2011 as the top-ranked amateur in the world.

He earned a spot on the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2011 and went 2-1-1 in his four matches. He played collegiately for UCLA, where he earned All-American honors as a freshman and was named PAC-10 Golfer of the Year. Prior to college, he won the 2010 California High School State Championship. Cantlay was the number one amateur in the world before turning pro, holding the top spot for a record 55 weeks.

Schauffele has won seven times since joining the PGA Tour full time in 2017. He won the Tour Championship his rookie year in 2017 and has since finished no worse than a tie for seventh in the season-ending tournament. He was the first rookie in the FedExCup era to win the Tour Championship.

He was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2017 and has made the Tour Championship every year since then.

This season, he has scored no fewer than six top-10 finishes in eight tournaments he has entered. Most recently, he tied for second in The Players Championship, then tied for fifth in the Valspar Championship the next week. He started the season fast with a tie for tenth in The Sentry, followed by a tie for third in The American Express and a tie for ninth the next week in the Farmers Insurance Open. He also posted a tie for fourth in The Genesis Invitational and currently ranks fourth in FedExCup points.

In addition to his victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2022, he also won the Travelers Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open.

In last year’s FedExCup Playoffs, he tied for third in the BMW Championship and placed fourth in the Tour Championship. Altogether, he took nine top-10 finishes during the season including his fourth at the Zurich Classic with Cantlay.

He tied for second in the 2019 Masters and has never finished worse than tied for 14^th in the six U.S. Open tournaments he has played. He also tied for second in the 2018 Open Championship.

In addition to his win and tie for fourth in the last two Zurich Classic events, he also finished tied for 11^th in the 2021 tournament, paired for the first time with Patrick Cantlay. In 2017, Schauffele finished tied for 11^th in the Zurich Classic teamed with Tag Ridings, when Cantlay finished one stroke behind in a tie for 14^th playing with Patrick Reed.

At the 2020 Olympics played in 2021 in Tokyo, Schauffele held the outright lead after the second and third rounds before making a par at the 72nd hole to secure a one-stroke victory and the gold medal.

He earned All-American honors playing for San Diego State University in 2014-15 and was 2014 California State Amateur champion.

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
• Over $20 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $48 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 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 economic impact to the regional economy. 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

Two sets of twin brothers will play, a first in history of the PGA Tour

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 2, 2024)— Parker and  Pierceson Coody became the first twins to play in the same group of a PGA Tour event at this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open. Now the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has doubled up on that historic first.

Not just one but two sets of twin brothers will play as teams in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a first in the history of the PGA Tour, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

The Coody brothers, third generation PGA Tour professionals, and Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard, identical twins from Denmark, have entered the Zurich Classic as sibling teams.

“All four of these young players have shown real promise for future success on the PGA Tour, and we are excited to see how they fare together as playing partners this year,” said Worthy. “Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard have won a total of seven times on the DP European Tour, and Nicolai was on the winning European Ryder Cup team last fall , so they know what it takes to win,” added Worthy.

The Coody twins have professional golf in their DNA. Their grandfather, Charles Coody, won the 1971 Masters, one of his three victories on the PGA Tour. When Charles played in his last Masters in 2006, his grandsons, then six years old, caddied for him in the Wednesday Par 3 contest, with each putting on alternate holes. Pierceson made a 40-footer on the ninth and final hole.

Their father Kyle made more than 20 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and played on the Asian and Canadian tours.

Parker, 37 minutes older than Pierceson, earned his PGA Tour card this season after finishing in the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list last year. So far this season, he has made four cuts in six tournaments he has entered, including top-25 finishes in the Farmers Insurance Open and the Mexico Open.

Pierceson also qualified for the PGA Tour by scoring in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour last season. While still playing the Korn Ferry Tour last year, he tied for 14^th in the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

Both followed their father’s footstep in college, playing for University of Texas, and both turned pro in 2022.

The Højgaard 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.

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 four international titles, including the European Masters in 2021. On the PGA Tour, he scored two top-10- finishes in 2022, 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 this year’s PGA Tour, Nicolai took sole second in the Farmers Insurance Open. Last season he posted a second at the Corales Puntacana Championship and a tie for sixth at the Genesis Scottish Open. Paired with Thorbjørn Oleson, he finished 32^nd in last year’s Zurich Classic.

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 last year’s event.

Nicolai played on the victorious 2023 European Ryder Cup team. In November he won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, firing a 64 in the final round. He is currently ranked 37^th in the world.

According to PGA Tour records, the Højgaard brothers have played together in more than one PGA Tour event, including the PGA Championship and The Open Championship last year, but never in the same group or paired in a team event.

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
• Over $20 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $48 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 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 economic impact to the regional economy. 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

 

Matt won the 2022 U.S. Open and the 2013 U.S. Amateur on the same course

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 28, 2024)—Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, will once again team with his brother Alex, who plays on the DP World Tour, in this year’s Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“We are excited to have Matt and Alex joining us in New Orleans again,” said Worthy. “Matt is already a major champion and has been in the top 10 in the world, while Alex is finding success on the DP World Tour. They were a great story last year and their experience here should serve them well in their attempt to win this year,” Worthy added.

Matt and Alex tied for 19^th in last year’s Zurich Classic. The brothers are featured in an entire episode of the Netflix series Full Swing this year, with several scenes of their play in the 2023 Zurich Classic.

Matt Fitzpatrick, currently ranked 11^th in the world, earned his first PGA Tour title in 2022 on the biggest stage—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, his first career top-five in a FedExCup Playoffs event; 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 last 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.

A native of Sheffield, England, 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 finished tied for 17^th in The Open Championship last year, posted a second in the ISPS Handa World Invitational and tied for eighth in the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

So far this season, his best finishes have been a tie for 16^th at the Hero Dubai Classic and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.

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 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
• Over $20 Million to charities in last 10 years
• Over $48 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 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 economic impact to the regional economy. 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 online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com