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PGA TOUR PRODIGIES WILL ZALATORIS AND DAVIS RILEY TEAM UP FOR THEIR FIRST ZURICH CLASSIC
Friends since childhood, they faced off in the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship Final
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 7, 2022)—Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley, two of the newest young prodigies on the PGA Tour and friends since they played junior golf, will make their individual Zurich Classic debuts this year paired as a team, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“These two guys are among a group having great early success on the PGA Tour. Will has steadily climbed in the world rankings while earning his PGA Tour card last year as a temporary member, and Davis narrowly missed winning in a playoff a month ago at Valspar,” said Worthy.
The two have known each other since working their way up the junior golf ranks. They faced each other in the finals of the 2014 Junior U.S. Amateur Championship, which Zalatoris won.
Zalatoris burst on the PGA Tour last season to earn full-time membership for the 2021-22 season on the strength of 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.
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.
So far this season, he has posted a second at the Farmer’s Open, when he lost in a playoff; a tie for fifth in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and a tie for sixth in the American Express.
Although he just earned his PGA Tour card this year, he is already ranked 29th in the world.
In college, he played for Wake Forest (Arnold Palmer’s alma mater) and was named first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2017. He made the Walker Cup team that year to contribute to the U.S. 19-7 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.
Davis Riley joined the PGA Tour just this year but has already taken a second at the Valspar Championship when he lost in a playoff to Sam Burns. Riley also finished tied for seventh at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship during the fall portion of the current season in only his fourth start as a member of the PGA Tour.
He won twice in his second season on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, with victories at the Panama Championship and the TPC San Antonio Championship.
The Hattiesburg, MS native played for the University of Alabama one year before turning pro in 2019. In his one year playing collegiately, he made the 2018 Palmer Cup team and was named third-team All-American.
The 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever. With the addition of Scheffler, the field now includes seven of the top 11 players in the world.
· New world number-one ranked Scottie Scheffler will pair with fellow Texan and former Zurich Classic champion Ryan Palmer.
· Collin Morikawa, now ranked third in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked fourth, to form the highest ranked pair in the history of the team format at the Zurich Classic.
· Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner ranked fifth in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked tenth, to make a second top-10 ranked team in the field.
· Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
· Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings, slipped to 11th this week after skipping the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He will play again in the Zurich Classic with Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history and himself is ranked 13th in the world.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
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Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter will team with Shane Lowry of Ireland in 2022 Zurich Classic
Tyrell Hatton and 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett also enter after finishing eighth in last year’s tournament
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 5, 2022)—Ian Poulter, famed for his Ryder Cup intensity with a lifetime 15-8-2 record, is teaming with Shane Lowry of Ireland for the 2022 Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“Ian Poulter is one of the most successful European players in Ryder Cup history,” said Worthy. “He and his partner 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, both played on the European Ryder Cup team last year, so they are very familiar with our format,” added Worthy.
In addition, Worthy announced another notable British team of Tyrell Hatton, ranked 18th in the world, playing with Danny Willett, 2016 Masters champion. They finished tied for eighth in last year’s Zurich Classic.
In seven Ryder Cup competitions, Poulter is 6-0-1 in singles and contributed to the European team victory in the 2018 competition with a 2-2 record as a captain’s pick. In 2012, he went 4-0 in leading the European team to its second consecutive victory. He served as vice-captain of the 2016 European team.
He ranks tenth all-time in Ryder Cup points among the Europeans with a 15-8-2 record. Among the top ten European Ryder Cup players, he has the third highest points percentage behind only Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Poulter has won three times on the PGA TOUR, including the 2017 Houston Open and two World Golf Championship titles, one of which was the Match Play. He also has claimed 12 international victories, including the 2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship.
His best finishes last year were a tie for third at the Charles Schwab Challenge, a tie for ninth at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and a tie for tenth at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
In addition to his six Ryder Cup appearances, he has also played on six World Cup teams, three Seve Trophy squads and competed in the 2016 Eurasia Cup.
He tied for ninth in the 2019 Zurich Classic, partnered with Sam Horsfield. Poulter’s best individual finish at the Zurich Classic was a tie for seventh in 2006.
Shane Lowry of Ireland has two PGA Tour victories in his career—a WGC title and The Open Championship in 2019. He won The Open Championship in his native country at Royal Portrush when it was played outside Britain and Scotland for the first time since 1951. Lowry defeated Tommy Fleetwood for The Open title to become the first player to win a World Golf Championship and a major for his first two victories on the PGA Tour.
Playing on a temporary membership, he won the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 to secure his full PGA Tour card.
He has also won three times on the European Tour, including the 2009 Irish Open, when he made history by becoming the first amateur to win his home country’s championship.
He represented Ireland in the 2020 Olympic games and finished 22nd. He played on the 2020 Ryder Cup team for the first time and went 1-2.
He has made three World Cup teams and the winning 2016 Eurasia Cup squad.
Lowry enjoyed one of his most successful seasons on the PGA Tour last year with four top-10 results, including a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship. His best finish this season was a second at the Honda Classic.
He has played the Zurich Classic three times, most recently in 2018 and 2019, both times paired with fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington.
Worthy also announced that British stars Tyrell Hatton and Danny Willett will team up again after tying for eighth in last year’s Zurich Classic.
Hatton, currently ranked 16th in the world, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2020, then followed up with a tie for third in the RBC Heritage and a tie for fourth in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He made the FedExCup Playoffs that year and went all the way to the Tour Championship, where he took seventh.
Last season he tied for second at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree, tied for third at the CJ Cup and tied for seventh at the Vivint Houston Open. He and Willett tied for eighth in the 2021 Zurich Classic.
This season he tied for second in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, to go with a tie for ninth in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and a tie for 13th in The Players Championship.
He has also won six times internationally in his career.
He made the last two European Ryder Cup teams and represented England in the 2018 World Cup and Eurasia Cup.
Danny Willett won the Masters in 2016 for his sole PGA Tour title to go with seven international victories in his career. He also has two sixth place finishes in The Open Championship.
In addition to his eighth place in the Zurich Classic last year with Hatton, Willett also posted an eighth in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.
He represented England in the 2016 Olympics and played for the European Ryder Cup team the same year. He won the English Amateur title in 2007 and ascended to the number one spot in the world amateur rankings the next year.
The 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever. With the addition of Scheffler, the field now includes seven of the top 11 players in the world.
- New world number-one ranked Scottie Scheffler will pair with fellow Texan and former Zurich Classic champion Ryan Palmer.
- Collin Morikawa, now ranked third in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked fourth, to form the highest ranked pair in the history of the team format at the Zurich Classic.
- Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner ranked fifth in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked tenth, to make a second top-10 ranked team in the field.
- Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
- Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings, slipped to 11th this week after skipping the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He will play again in the Zurich Classic with Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history and himself is ranked 13th in the world.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson will team up for the fourth time in 2022 Zurich Classic
Each has won a major tournament in his career and excelled in Ryder Cup play
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April X, 2022)—Justin Rose, who won the individual Zurich Classic title in 2015, will team again with Henrik Stenson for the fourth time in the tournament, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“Both of these players have won major titles in their careers and were the first to commit as a team when we moved to our new format in 2017,” said Worthy. “They have enjoyed an extremely successful Ryder Cup partnership, and now Henrik will be the European captain for the 2023 event,” added Worthy.
Stenson was named European Ryder Cup captain in March, becoming the first Swede to be awarded the honor. He will lead the European team in Rome from September 25 – October 1, 2023, when they try to wrest the cup from the Americans, who won decisively in 2021 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Rose won the 2016 Olympic gold medal over Stenson, who took silver in that year’s competition. Together they captured both their team matches in the 2018 Ryder Cup won decisively by the Europeans.
Rose and Stenson each have compiled an impressive record beyond their Olympic success in 2016. In addition to the Zurich Classic, Rose won the U.S. Open in 2013 and the FedEx Cup in 2018. Stenson won the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2016 just prior to his success at the Summer Olympics that year and won his FedExCup in 2013.
They tied for 11th in the 2021 Zurich Classic.
Both have represented Europe in the Ryder Cup five times. They have been paired together in Ryder Cup competition eight times, tied for fourth all-time among the European teams. Their combined record as a team is 6-2-0.
Rose is 13-8-2 all time in the Ryder Cup and Stenson has posted a record of 10-7-2.
Rose was ranked number one in the world for 13 weeks in 2018 and 2019. He was a fixture in the world’s top 10 eight out of nine years from 2012 to 2019.
He has won ten times on the PGA TOUR, most recently the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open. He has claimed another 12 international victories. Two of his PGA Tour titles were World Golf Championships, including the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions, when he came back from eight shots behind on the final day to win with a closing round of 67.
His best finish last season was a tie for 7th in the Masters, when he led after the first two days of play. He also posted a tie for eighth in the PGA Championship and a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship.
He won the U.S. Open in 2013 and has posted no fewer than 17 top-10 finishes in major tournaments.
He ranks eighth in all-time winnings on the PGA TOUR with more than $56 million. He has posted 104 top-10 finishes in 379 tournaments on the PGA Tour since 1998.
In addition to qualifying for the Ryder Cup five times, he has also made three World Cup teams, two Seve Cup squads and at age 17 played in the Walker Cup, becoming the youngest player in that event’s history.
He pitched in at the last hole to finish in a tie for fourth and win the Silver Medal as leading amateur in the 1998 Open Championship. He turned professional the next day.
Stenson has won six times on the PGA TOUR, including a World Golf Championship title, The Players Championship and the 2013 TOUR Championship to win the FedExCup that season. He has also claimed 13 international titles.
He won The Open Championship in 2016 with a final round score of 63 to become the first Swede to win a major tournament. He has posted top 10- finishes a total of 13 times in major tournaments.
In 2018 he tied for second in the WGC-HSBC Champions that Justin Rose won and earned a fourth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He also finished fifth in the Masters, tied for sixth in the U.S. Open and won all three of his matches in the Ryder Cup.
In addition to playing on five Ryder Cup teams, he also made four World Cup teams and three Royal Trophy squads. In the 2018 Ryder Cup played in Paris, as a captain’s pick, he went 3-0-0 and closed with a 5 and 4 win over Bubba Watson in singles.
The 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever. With the addition of Scheffler, the field now includes seven of the top 11 players in the world.
- New world number-one ranked Scottie Scheffler will pair with fellow Texan and former Zurich Classic champion Ryan Palmer.
- Collin Morikawa, now ranked third in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked fourth, to form the highest ranked pair in the history of the team format at the Zurich Classic.
- Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner ranked fifth in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked tenth, to make a second top-10 ranked team in the field.
- Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
- Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings, slipped to 11th this week after skipping the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He will play again in the Zurich Classic with Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history and himself is ranked 13th in the world.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
EUROPEAN RYDER CUPpers TOMMY FLEETWOOD AND SERGIO GARCIA WILL PAIR UP IN 2022 ZURICH CLASSIC
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 1, 2022)—Teammates on the last two European Ryder Cup squads, including the winning 2018 team, Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia will pair in the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“These two European stars finished second as a team here in 2019, and Tommy Fleetwood took fourth in 2018 playing with fellow Englishman Chris Paisley,” said Worthy. “Both Tommy and Sergio have distinguished themselves in team play at the Ryder Cup, with Sergio scoring the most points in Ryder Cup history,” added Worthy.
Garcia has won 11 times on the PGA TOUR and 24 times internationally, including 14 European Tour titles.
He broke through with his first major title at the 2017 Masters when he birdied the first playoff hole to beat Justin Rose, the 2015 Zurich Classic winner, on what would have been the 60th birthday of legendary Spanish player Seve Ballesteros. Garcia had amassed 22 top-10 finishes in 73 previous major championship starts, four of which were runner-up placements.
He has won more than $54 million on the PGA TOUR, placing him ninth all time.
He has played on ten Ryder Cup European teams and twice each on Seve Trophy and Dunhill Cup teams. He also represented Spain in the 2016 Olympics, when Rose won the gold medal.
His all-time Ryder Cup record is 25-13-7, the most wins of any player in history. He became the all-time leading scorer when he surpassed Nick Faldo’s record by half a point in 2018, and in 2021 became the player with more wins than any other in history.
He finished 3-1 for the victorious European team in 2018 and posted the same overall score in the European team’s losing effort in 2021. Garcia won the inaugural Nicklaus-Jacklin Award for the European team last year given to the player whose teamwork, sportsmanship, performance and decisions epitomized the spirit of the Ryder Cup.
Garcia set the European Tour record as the youngest player to make the cut at age 14, and he won his first professional tournament, the Catalonian Open, at 17. In 1999 at age 19, he was named the European Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
Fleetwood teamed with Garcia in the 2019 Zurich Classic, when they finished second.
In his first appearance in New Orleans, Fleetwood teamed with non-exempt European Tour player Chris Paisley to tie for fourth in the 2018 Zurich Classic.
Fleetwood has won six times internationally. Although he is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory, he has posted no fewer than 20 top-10 finishes since his debut on the Tour in 2013.
Since turning pro in 2010, Fleetwood has competed all over the world on the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Japan Golf Tour, the Southern Africa Tour and the Asian PGA.
As an amateur, he won the English Amateur title and played for the European team in the 2009 Walker Cup. Later as a professional he represented England in the 2013 Seve Trophy and in the 2020 Olympics.
In his inaugural Ryder Cup competition in 2018, he won all four of his team matches for the Europeans, paired with Francesco Molinari. The duo was dubbed “Moliwood” by the European golf media during their record-setting play in Paris that year.
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 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever. The field now includes seven of the top 11 players in the world:
- New world number-one ranked Scottie Scheffler will pair with fellow Texan and former Zurich Classic champion Ryan Palmer.
- Collin Morikawa, ranked third in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked fourth, to form the highest ranked pair in the history of the team format at the Zurich Classic.
- Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner ranked fifth in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked tenth.
- Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
- Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings, slipped to 11th this week after skipping the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He will team again in the Zurich Classic with Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history and himself is ranked 13th in the world.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic ticket will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Another top-ten team pairs up for 2022 Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 28, 2022)—Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup winner ranked fifth in the world, will pair with 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele, ranked tenth, to give the 2022 Zurich Classic another team of top-10 players, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“With Patrick and Xander our field now includes six of the top 11 in the world,” said Worthy. “They’ve partnered successfully at the 2019 Presidents Cup, 2021 Zurich Classic and 2021 Ryder Cup and we are thrilled they are joining us again,” Worthy added.
Cantlay and Schauffele won both matches when they were teamed together in the 2021 Ryder Cup. Cantlay went undefeated in team play, halved his singles match and tied Colllin Morikawa for second most points scored by an American player. Schauffele was 3-1 himself, losing only his singles match on Sunday.
After teaming with Schauffele to a 2-2 record in the 2019 Presidents Cup pairs, Cantlay won his singles match, defeating Joaquin Niemann 3 and 2, and Schauffele won his match against Adam Scott of Australia.
The pair teamed up in last year’s Zurich Classic to finish tied for 11th.
Cantlay won the FedExCup last year 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 last 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.
This season he lost the WM Phoenix Open in a playoff, tied for fourth in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and took a solo fourth in the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Cantlay started on the Tour full time in 2017 after missing all of 2016 and nearly all of 2015 with lingering back issues. He earned his Tour card in 2017 when he made the cut in all 13 starts to fulfill his Major Medical Extension. He placed second in the Valspar in just his second start that season and tied for third two starts later at the RBC Heritage.
He went on to join Schauffele as the only two rookies to make the season-ending TOUR Championship and finished 20th in that tournament.
His best finish at the Zurich Classic was a tie for seventh in 2018 with Patrick Reed.
As an amateur, he posted a second-round 60 to take the lead in the Travelers Championship. His 60 was the first score that low by an amateur in PGA Tour history.
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 for UCLA, where he earned All-America 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.
At the 2020 Olympics played last year 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 has won four 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 7th 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. In addition to his Olympic gold last year, he posted eight top-10s and three seconds in 22 starts.
He tied for second in the 2019 Masters, and he has never finished worse than tied for seventh in the five U.S. Open tournaments he has played. He also tied for second in the 2018 Open Championship.
So far this season his best finish was a tie for third in the WM Phoenix Open.
He first played the Zurich Classic in 2017 and tied for 11th playing with Tag Ridings.
He earned All-American honors playing for San Diego State University in 2014-15 and was 2014 California State Amateur champion.
The 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever. With the addition of Cantlay and Schauffele, the field now includes six of the top 11 players in the world.
- Collin Morikawa, now ranked third in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked fourth, to form the highest ranked pair in the history of the team format at the Zurich Classic.
- Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
- Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings, slipped to 11th this week after skipping the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He will play again in the Zurich Classic with Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history and himself is ranked 13th in the world.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
World’s second and third ranked players will team for 2022 Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 23, 2022)—Collin Morikawa, ranked second in the world, will team with Viktor Hovland, ranked third, in the 2022 Zurich Classic, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“These two form the highest ranked partnership to compete since we adopted the team format five years ago,” said Worthy. “They are both incredibly accomplished at a very young age, and both have international team competition experience. We are thrilled to have them back to New Orleans, now as a team,” Worthy added.
“With defending champion Cameron Smith ranked sixth and now Sam Burns moving to tenth, we already have four of the top 10 players in the world in our field,” said Worthy. “And we have more to come,” he predicted.
Morikawa burst on the PGA Tour by earning his temporary card in only his fourth start as a professional in 2019 when he tied for second at the 3M Open after leading at 54 holes. He went on to finish tied for fourth in his next tournament and won the Barracuda Championship two weeks later in his eighth career and sixth professional start at age 22 years, 5 months, 22 days.
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.
He won the 2020 PGA Championship in August after the PGA Tour resumed play that year. He then went on to win the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship in February 2021.
Later that season, he won The Open Championship 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, eighth in the PGA Championship and took fourth in the Olympics. He also won the DP World Tour Championship.
So far this season, he has two seconds, two fifths and a seventh place in seven tournaments.
In 61 career PGA Tour starts, he has posted 22 top-ten finishes and 32 top-25s.
In his first Ryder Cup competition last year, he went undefeated, with three wins in team play and a half in singles. He and Patrick Cantlay posted the second highest score totals for the American team at 3.5 points each.
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.
Hovland, born and raised in Oslo, Norway, was the first Norwegian golfer to win the
U.S. Amateur in 2018 and the first Norwegian to compete in the Masters the following year. He earned low amateur honors at both the Masters with a tie for 32nd and the U.S. Open, where he finished tied for 12th.
He scored his first PGA Tour victory in the 2020 Puerto Rico Open at 22 years old. He also finished third in the Workday Charity Open and was one of only two rookies that season to make the Tour Championship, where he finished 20th.
He went on to win the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December, then fired up a hot streak early in 2021. In three consecutive tournaments, he tied for second in the Farmers Insurance Open, tied for fifth in the Genesis Invitational and tied for second in the WGC-Workday Championship. He teamed with fellow Norwegian Kris Ventura in the 2021 Zurich Classic and finished 25th.
This season he has won twice: the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba where he defended his title from the year before; and the Hero World Challenge, when he came back from a six-shot deficit to win and deny Morikawa the world’s number one ranking.
In addition to his three PGA Tour titles, he has also won twice internationally at the 2021 BMW International Open and the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. He played on the 2021 European Ryder Cup team that fell to the Americans at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
He has made the cut in all four majors he has played, with a tie for 12th and a tie for 13th in the U.S. Open. In 63 starts on the PGA Tour, he has totaled 33 top-25 and 15 top-10 finishes.
Hovland played on the Arnold Palmer Cup team in 2017 and 2018 and won the Eisenhower Trophy for amateurs in 2016 and 2018. He represented Norway in the 2020 Olympics, finishing 14th.
In his three seasons at Oklahoma State, he was a two-time first-team All-American and three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection. After his junior year, he was named Big 12 Player of the Year, won the Ben Hogan Award and reached the number one spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The 2022 Zurich Classic field is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever.
Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
In addition, the 2022 field includes the team of Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history, and Sam Burns, whose repeat victory in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Former Zurich Classic winner Bubba Watson will team with Harold Varner III in 2022 Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 22, 2022)—Bubba Watson, two-time Masters champion and winner of the 2011 Zurich Classic, will team with Harold Varner III in this year’s event, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“Bubba is always an exciting player to watch, and he has a tremendous following in New Orleans.,” said Worthy. “Harold is one of the emerging young stars on the Tour and is a fan favorite. We would expect this team to attract very large crowds,” Worthy added.
Watson is indeed one of the most dynamic and popular players on the PGA Tour with 12 wins in his career. So far this season, he has only played three tournaments with his best finish being a tie for 14th at the WM Phoenix Open.
Paired with Scottie Scheffler, he finished eighth in the 2021 Zurich Classic. He also recorded three other top-10 finishes during the 2020-21 season. He closed out 2021 with a tie for ninth in the 2021 QBE Shootout, teamed with LPGA star Lexi Thompson. Theirs was the only co-ed team in the event.
He ranks 14th in all-time TOUR winnings with more than $47.6 million in prize money. Lifetime, he has scored 14 second-place finishes, six thirds and 73 top-tens in the 361 PGA Tour events he has played.
In addition to his win at the Zurich Classic in 2011, he also finished fifth in the 2007 tournament and tied for 15th in 2013. His tie for fifth with J. B. Holmes in the 2017 event was his best finish in the 2016-17 season.
He won the Masters in 2012 and 2014, finished tied for 12th in 2019 and tied for fifth in 2018. In other majors, he tied for fifth in the 2007 U.S. Open and lost a three-way, three-hole playoff to Martin Kaymer in the 2010 PGA Championship.
He has played on two President’s Cup teams and four Ryder Cup teams.
In 2015, he donated $100,000 to assist with recovery efforts after the devastating floods in Louisiana. Watson is part owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and opened a candy store in Pensacola called “Bubbas’s Sweet Shop” where his mom Molly sometimes works.
Varner is currently ranked 40th in the world. He has recorded three top-20 finishes this season, with a tie for sixth in The Players Championship. Last season he tied for second at the RBC Heritage, where he fired four rounds in the 60s. He has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for six consecutive seasons.
He has won two international titles, the 2016 Australian PGA and the 2022 PIF Saudi International.
Playing collegiately at East Carolina University, he was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2012 and made the all-conference team three times.
His head cover is named “Gerald” and has its own Twitter account.
Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
In addition, the 2022 field includes the team of Billy Horschel, who is vying to become the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history, and Sam Burns, whose repeat win in the Valspar Classic moved him up to 10th in the world rankings.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Pair of South African Major champs partner again for 2022 Zurich Classic after nearly winning last year
Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel made playoff for title in 2021 after a third place in the 2018 Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 18, 2022)—Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who have both won a major title each and lost the 2021 Zurich Classic in a playoff, will team again for the 2022 event, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“Obviously, Louis and Charl have played well here as a team,” said Worthy. “Their first partnership here in 2018 resulted in a third-place finish, and they nearly won our tournament last year,” added Worthy.
The two South African players have each won 13 international titles. Schwartzel won the Masters in 2011 and Oosthuizen took The Open Championship in 2010.
Oosthuizen, is ranked 13th in the world. In addition to his Open Championship in 2010 at St. Andrews, and he has lost two playoffs for other major titles, to Bubba Watson in the 2012 Masters and to Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman in The 2015 Open Championship.
In the final round of the 2012 Masters, he scored an albatross on the second hole of Augusta National Golf Club. This was only the fourth ever albatross in Masters history, and the first to be televised.
During his career, he has demonstrated a particular affinity for major championships. Last season he took second in the U.S. Open and tied for second in the PGA Championship. He finished third in the 2020 U.S. Open, played in September of that year when the Tour returned to play in the fall.
He also tied for second in the 2015 U.S. Open and the 2017 PGA Championship, becoming one of only seven players in PGA Tour history to be a runner-up in all four majors. The others include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, Greg Norman and Craig Wood. In his career, Oosthuizen has finished second six times in major tournaments and 12 overall on the PGA Tour in his career.
Oosthuizen has played on the last four International Presidents Cup teams, compiling a 9-6-4 record overall. He ranks seventh among international players for points won in the President Cup competitions.
Schwartzel won the 2011 Masters title 50 years after fellow South African Gary Player became the first international winner of the green jacket.
In his career, Schwartzel has placed in the top 25 a total of 90 times on the PGA TOUR since 2005. In addition to his Masters title, he won the 2016 Valspar Championship. He has won another 13 tournaments on the European, Asian and South African tours.
Schwartzel has made four Presidents Cup teams and the 2011 World Cup team with Oosthuizen. In the 2011 Presidents Cup matches, he was one of four rookies on the International the team and went 3-1-1 in a losing cause against the Americans.
Cameron Smith, who won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Two-time Zurich Classic winner Billy Horschel will team again with former LSU star Sam Burns in 2022 tournament
Both players are ranked in the top 20 in the world
NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 15, 2022)—Billy Horschel, the only player to claim both individual and team titles at the Zurich Classic, will again pair with two-time PGA Tour winner and former LSU All-American Sam Burns in this year’s tournament, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“Billy will be going for an unprecedented third victory at the Zurich Classic,” said Worthy. “They have good experience playing together, as they finished second by one stroke as a team in last year’s QBE Shootout and fourth in our tournament,” Worthy added.
Horschel is ranked 16th in the world and Burns is right behind him at 17th.
Horschel has won six times on the PGA Tour and is the only player to win both an individual and a team title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He scored his first career Tour victory in 2013 at the Zurich Classic.
He followed up his first win with one of the best 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 12th 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. Team Horschel beat the team of Pat Perez and Jason Dufner (himself a former Zurich Classic winner) by one stroke.
As an amateur, he 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.
Sam Burns held the lead in four different tournaments last season before breaking through with a win at the 2021 Valspar Championship. He had tied for fourth in the Zurich Classic with Horschel the week before his maiden win at Valspar.
He nearly won last year’s World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational before losing in a three-person playoff.
He then started this season with a victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship. So far this season, he has tied for fifth in the CJ Cup Summit, tied for seventh at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open and tied for ninth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
In his short PGA Tour career, he has recorded 18 top-10 finishes in only 95 starts.
He has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs each year since he joined the PGA Tour but was unable to compete in the 2019 series due to a wrist injury. Before that, he scored three top-10 finishes in his first full season on the Tour.
In the shortened 2020 season, he finished tied for sixth at the American Express and took two more top-20 finishes to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.
Playing for LSU, Burns made first-team All-American in 2016-17 and was named Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year in the NCAA. He represented the United States on the winning Arnold Palmer Cup team in 2017.
A prodigy of former LSU great and Zurich Classic champion David Toms, Burns was honored by the AJGA as Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2014.
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.
Cameron Smith, who this week won The Players Championship and vaulted to 6th in the world, will team again with fellow Australian Marc Leishman to defend the title they won last year at the Zurich Classic. Smith is the only two-time team winner of the Zurich Classic.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman will defend their Zurich Classic title for a record $8.3 million purse
NEW ORLEANS, LA (February 16, 2022)—Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman will return this year to defend their title, as the Zurich Classic will offer a record $8.3 million purse, announced Steve Worthy, Fore!Kids Foundation CEO and tournament director.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. The record $8.3 million purse will earn each member of the winning team $1,199,350.
This year’s purse is nearly a million dollars more than last year’s. After the 2020 tournament was canceled, the 2021 event generated a record $2.3 million in contributions to children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
“Cameron was ranked in the top ten in the world until this week on the strength of an excellent season last year and a victory in the opening event this year,” said Worthy. “Marc has also played very well of late, with a tie for third and fourth in the first two events of the fall season, so we expect they will make a very strong defense of their title,” Worthy added.
Australians Leishman and Smith defeated South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in a playoff for the 2021 Zurich Classic title. It was Smith’s second team title at the Zurich Classic, which he won also in a playoff in 2017, the first year of the team format.
Smith won the opening tournament of 2022, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, setting a PGA Tour record for lowest score under par at -34. He is currently ranked 11th in the world, vaulting from 22nd at the end of the 2020-21 season, and eighth in FedExCup standings. He has won three times on the PGA Tour in the last two years following his maiden victory at the Zurich Classic in 2017. In his home country, he won the Australian PGA Championship in consecutive years 2017-18.
He partnered with Leishman in the 2018 ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf and brought his team within two strokes of the win when he holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-5 14th hole of the match.
He also played on the 2019 Presidents Cup team that lost to the U.S. on the last day in Melbourne.
Leishman has won six times on the PGA Tour, with one title each in the last three seasons. He is currently ranked 35th in the world and 24th in FedExCup. He has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs 13 consecutive seasons.
He has played on the International Presidents Cup team in the last four competitions. Both he and Cameron Smith represented Australia in the 2020 Olympics.
Leishman was voted Rookie of the Year in 2009 to become the first Australian to win that honor on the PGA Tour.
In 2015, he withdrew from the Masters to be with his wife, who made what was called a
“miraculous” recovery from a series of infections that put her into a coma. He returned to the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic that year, finishing tied for 28th.
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.
In 2021, after cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the Fore!Kids Foundation generated an all-time record $2.3 million in charitable giving for children’s charities in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
Because of its popularity, the Best of the Zurich Classic pass will return in 2022, along with expanded suite options at the 17th and 18th holes. A new Walk-On’s Stadium Club venue will also be introduced.
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, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has distributed more than $42 million since inception, providing healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 18-24, 2022 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2022 totals a record $8.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,199,350.
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. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
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