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

 

McIlroy has won four major titles, and Lowry has won The Open Championship

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 25, 2024)— Rory McIlroy, 24-time PGA TOUR winner including  four major titles and currently ranked second in the world, will make his debut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this year, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

McIlroy will team with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry, who himself added a major title to his playing resume when he won The Open Championship in 2019 in his native country.

“Both of these players have competed for Europe in Ryder Cup competition, so they are very accustomed to team play ,” said Worthy. “It’s always fun to see close friends partner in our unique format, and with their experience they will be both fan and on-course favorites,” Worthy added.

McIlroy, who joined the PGA TOUR in 2010, has carved out a remarkable career, making the cut in 213 out of 243 tournaments he has entered. He has won 24 times on the PGA TOUR and 17 times on the DP World Tour.

His record glitters with titles in the most prestigious tournaments around the world. He has three FedExCup titles; the DP World Championship twice; The Open Championship twice; and once each in the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship.

Although he is still seeking his first Masters championship to become only the sixth player in history to complete the Grand Slam, he has finished in the top 10 at Augusta seven times in the last 10 years.

He was named PGA TOUR Player of the Year three times, DP World Tour Player of the Year three times, won the Byron Nelson Award four times, the Vardon Trophy four times, and the Mark McCormick Award three times.

He has played on every European Ryder Cup team since 2010, with an overall record of 16-13-4. In the 2023 competition, he went 4-1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome, Italy.

McIlroy turned professional at age 17, after declining a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University when he was only 15. His first win on the DP World Tour came when he was 19 in 2009 and his first victory on the PGA TOUR came just a year later in 2010. At 22, he became the youngest player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the DP World Tour. In 2012, he became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA TOUR.

He is currently ranked second in the world and has been ranked first in the world for 95 weeks starting in 2015.

Shane Lowry won The Open Championship in 2019 at Royal Portrush in his native Ireland, firing a course-record 63 in the third round to win by six shots over Tommy Fleetwood.  He has won five other titles, four on the DP World Tour and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 that earned him his PGA TOUR card.

In addition to his title in The Open Championship, Lowry has posted a tie for third in the Masters, three top-10s in the PGA Championship and a tie for second in the 2016 U.S. Open, where he also finished ninth the previous year.

He has played the Zurich Classic four times in his career, most recently finishing 13^th teamed with Ian Poulter in 2022.

Lowry has played on the latest two Ryder Cup teams for Europe. He also made the World Cup team three times and played for Ireland in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2008.

He has played only five times in the U.S. in 2024. This season he tied for fourth in the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

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

Zalatoris returns from major back surgery while Theegala holds top five spot in FedExCup standings

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 19, 2024)—Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris, two of the ascending young stars on the PGA Tour, have teamed to play the 2024 Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Will has bounced back extremely well after missing nearly a full season from major back surgery,” said Worthy. “Meanwhile, Sahith is building off his first Tour victory last year with three top-10 finishes this season already, ” Worthy added.

Theegala broke through with his first title at the 2023 Fortinet Championship, then followed up  with a second at The Sentry in Hawaii to start the 2024 season. He took fifth in the WM Phoenix Open and tied for sixth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. This week he tied for ninth in The Players Championship.

He is currently ranked 14^th in the world and fifth in FedExCup standings.

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. Last year, he teamed with Justin Suh to tie for 23^rd in the Zurich Classic.

In the 2021-22 season, his first fulltime on the Tour, he finished 28^th in the Tour Championship after five top-10s and 11 top-25s  during the year.

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.

Zalatoris 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 that brilliant rookie season up 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, when he teamed with Davis Riley.

He 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 this year ranked 43^rd.

Now back and healthy on Tour, he tied for second in The Genesis Invitational and tied for fourth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He has now climbed to 30^th in the world ranking and 13^th in  FedExCup points. He ranked as high as eighth in the world when he was forced to miss most of 2023 and fell to 54^th by the time he returned.

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.

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

The pair became the first team to finish with a score of 30-under-par  since the tournament started team play in 2017

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 19, 2024)—Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, who stormed back from three shots behind on Sunday to win the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, will return to defend their title this year, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Nick and Davis showed remarkable consistency all four days of the tournament through both best ball and alternate shot, so we expect that experience to serve them well this year,” said Worthy. “They navigated through a crowded leaderboard on Sunday to claim the title with an outstanding 31 in alternate shot on their final nine holes,” Worthy added.

Hardy and Riley won by two strokes in the PGA Tour’s only team tournament last year, becoming the first duo to shoot 30-under-par since the team format was launched in 2017. Their score broke the 29-under-par record set the year before by 2022 champions Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Hardy and Riley stayed within three strokes of the lead the first three days before posting a 65 in Sunday’s alternate shot format, the second best score of the day.

Last year’s  Zurich Classic was the first PGA Tour title for both players.

Riley, a native of Hattiesburg, MS who still lives there, joined the PGA Tour in 2021. He qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in his rookie season and was one of eight rookies to advance to the BMW Championship, finishing 36th in the final FedExCup standings. He recorded six top-10s his first full season on Tour. He lost a playoff for the Valspar Championship to Sam Burns, the former LSU All-American.

That season he tied for fourth at the 2022 Zurich Classic, paired with Will Zalatoris. He also posted a tie for fourth in the Charles Schwab Challenge and held a share of the first round lead at the Memorial Tournament.

He had a storied amateur career as a youth. He won the Mississippi state championship four consecutive years and was named All-USA Boys Golf Player by USA Today. He made the final of the U.S. Junior Amateur two years in a row, joining Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth as the only players to achieve that distinction. He lost the Junior Amateur championship final to Scottie Schleffler in 2013 when he called a penalty on himself on the last  hole. He went on the make the 2014 Junior Ryder Cup team that defeated the European team 16-8 in Scotland.

In college, Riley played for the University of Alabama, where he made the 2018 Palmer Cup team and was named third team All-American before turning pro in 2019. He was ranked the best collegiate player in the U.S. entering his junior year.

Nick Hardy enjoyed a breakout season last year with his first victory in New Orleans after joining the PGA Tour in 2022. Starting the season on a minor medical extension, he tied for fifth in the Sanderson Farms Championship and posted a tie for 13^th in both the Corales Puntacana Championship and the 3M Open to finish the season ranked 52^nd in FedExCup points.

In 2022 he tied for 21^st  in the Zurich Classic, teamed with Curtis Thompson. Since he started fulltime on the PGA Tour in the 2021-22 season, he has posted 14 top-25 finishes.

He played collegiately at  University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten player as a freshman, and was a co-champion at the Big Ten Championship. He repeated as All-Big Ten First Team in 2017. That same year he was named to the Palmer Cup team where he won both his singles matches before turning pro the next year.

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