Kuchar has not played in New Orleans since 2009; Watson won his 10^th PGA TOUR tournament at the Genesis Open in February

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 6, 2018)— Bubba Watson, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2011, then went on to win two Masters titles, will team with Matt Kuchar in the 2018 Zurich Classic that features a team format unique on the PGA TOUR, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Bubba and Matt are both fan favorites, attracting large, enthusiastic galleries wherever they play,” said Worthy. “We expect they will draw some of our tournament’s largest followings in this year’s Zurich Classic as well,” Worthy added.

Currently ranked 20^th  in the world, Kuchar last played the Zurich Classic in 2009. His best finish here was in 2004, when he tied for tenth.

He ranks 13th all-time in money winnings on the PGA TOUR, with a total of more than $42 million. He has won seven times on the TOUR and twice internationally. His best finish in the current season is a tie for fifth in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Kuchar excelled at the majors last year, with a tie for fourth in the Masters, a sole second in The Open Championship in a memorable duel with Jordan Spieth and a tie for ninth in the PGA Championship.

Kuchar has played in four Ryder Cups, four Presidents Cups, two World Cups, the 1998 World Amateur Championship and the 1999 Walker Cup.

He also represented the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics when he captured the bronze medal after matching the course record of 63 in the final round to earn his place on the podium.

He won the 1997 U.S. Amateur after Tiger Woods’ three straight championships. His amateur title earned him entry to the Masters and the U.S. Open the next year. He placed 21^st in the Masters, the best finish by an amateur in 20 years, and finished tied for 14^th in the U.S. Open played at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Bubba Watson has won ten times on the PGA TOUR, most recently at the Genesis Open this season. His win there vaulted him into the top 40 players in the world, and he currently ranks 38^th.

He ranks 16th in all-time TOUR winnings with $38 million in prize money. In addition to his win at the Zurich Classic in 2011, he also finished fifth in the 2007 tournament and tied for fifth with J. B. Holmes in last year’s event, his best finish in the 2016-17 season.

He won the Masters in 2012 and 2014, tied for fifth in the 2007 U.S. Open, and took a sole second in the 2010 PGA Championship.

He has played on two President’s Cup teams and three Ryder Cup teams.

In 2015, he donated $100,000 to assist with recovery efforts after the devastating floods in Louisiana. His longtime caddy, Ted Scott, is from the Lafayette area. Watson is a part owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and opened a candy store in Pensacola where his mom Molly sometimes works.

The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA TOUR season.  This year’s 72-hole stroke team play format will feature Four-Ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and fourth rounds. The starting field will consist of 80 teams. Following the conclusion of the second round, the field will be cut to the low 35 teams and ties. In case of a tie after 72 holes, there will be a sudden-death playoff using the Four-Ball format.

JORDAN SPIETH BECOMES SEVENTH WORLD TOP 10 PLAYER TO FORM A TEAM IN THE 2017 ZURICH CLASSIC

 World’s fifth-ranked player will pair with Ryan Palmer

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 14, 2017)—Jordan Spieth, ranked fifth in the world, becomes the seventh top 10 ranked player to enter a team in the 2017 Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

Spieth, who has won nine times in less than five years on the PGA TOUR, will partner with Ryan Palmer, who has scored three TOUR victories himself.

“We are thrilled by the response from the players and the depth of the field,” said Worthy. “Our fans and television viewers will be treated to some intense and exciting golf in a format that we rarely get to see,” Worthy added.

Spieth most recently tied for 11^th at the Masters, where he has won once and claimed runner-up twice in only four appearances. So far this year, he has won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and has also posted a third in the Sony Open in Hawaii and a ninth in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He currently ranks sixth in FedExCup points and fifth in earnings on the PGA TOUR.

In addition to his nine wins on the PGA TOUR, he has won the Australian Open twice, joining champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Greg Norman as multiple winners of that tournament. In 2015, he won the Valspar Championship, the Masters, the U.S. Open and the TOUR Championship to become ranked number one in the world. He held his top ranking for a total of 26 weeks.

Spieth has played on the last two Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams and was a member of the Walker Cup team in 2011 when he was a freshman at University of Texas. He is the only golfer besides Tiger Woods to win the U.S. Junior Amateur twice. As a freshman at Texas, he helped his team win the 2011 NCAA championship and was named All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year.

His playing partner Palmer is a fellow Texan who has won three times on the PGA TOUR, most recently at the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. He finished tied for fourth in the 2012 Zurich Classic when his third round score of 64 tied the course record at TPC Louisiana.

He advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs last year for the ninth time in 10 seasons. He just barely missed qualifying for the TOUR Championship, finishing 34^th after posting a tie for fourth in the BMW Championship the week before.

The latest commitments further strengthen what is arguably the strongest field in history for the Zurich Classic, with seven players ranked in the world’s top 10, nine in the top 20 and 13 in the top 25.

Top ten players entered include Jason Day (third), Hideki Matsuyama (fourth), Spieth (fifth), Henrik Stenson (sixth), Justin Rose (eighth), Rickie Fowler (ninth) and Justin Thomas (tenth).

Day, ranked number one in the world for 47 weeks, is teaming with Fowler. Masters runner-up and Olympic gold medal winner Rose has paired with Olympic silver medalist Stenson in this year’s unique team format.

The new 72-hole stroke play format will feature Foursomes (alternate shot) during the first and third rounds and Four-Ball (best ball) during the second and fourth rounds. The starting field will consist of a field of 80 teams. Following the conclusion of the second round, the field will be cut to the low 35 teams and ties at the 35^th position. In case of a tie after 72 holes, there will be a sudden-death playoff using the Four-Ball format.