Australian Golf Digest’s PGA Tour editor-at-large details five things to look out for as the tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

 

Dream team?

Only time will tell, but Adam Scott and Jason Day believe they’re on to a winning combination by pairing up for the US PGA Tour’s two-man teams event, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Their pairing is an edict from Internationals captain Ernie Els, who wants his charges to bond and establish formidable duos ahead of the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in December. On paper, the Day and Scott are a lethal combination for the Zurich and as such are the betting favourites. Day ranks fifth on the PGA Tour for strokes gained: off the tee and fourth for putting. Scott is rated 42nd for iron play while his putting rank is up to 14th – his highest rank in that category through April in 15 years.

“I think we’re a hell of a team,” Scott said. “I don’t care who else is on the team and what team we’re playing. I think who we play has to turn and take notice of us.”

Scott and Day ‘teamed up’ to win the 2013 World Cup title, but that was under a different format and the pair never actually played together. In Day’s four Presidents Cup appearances, he has only been teamed with Scott once – in 2015 in South Korea where they halved a fourball match against Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson.

“I’ve tried to push for it to happen more often, but they’re a lot of different opinions and things to happen,” Scott said. “You know, you have to play as a team member and do what’s best for the team, but I would definitely push for this pairing, certainly in Australia. I think it’s very formidable.”

 

Day’s Presidents Cup attitude to change?

Day admits his heart has not been in Presidents Cups in the past, despite being the best player on the team for most of his four appearances. For whatever reason, Day does not seem to fire up for the Internationals. He has just seven points from 20 total matches; a stark contrast to his excellent record at the WGC–Dell Match Play.

“I’m the first one to put my hand up… because, unfortunately, it has to start at the top, and I’ve made mistakes with regards to not mentally being there,” Day said. “I need to understand we’ve got 11 other guys on the team that are trying just as hard or trying even harder than myself, so I’ve got to pick the slack up too.”

But Day wants that to change at Royal Melbourne in December. “Scotty has been one of the major voices in the team room, and you can see in his emotions and his attitude with regard to losing every single year. It’s disappointing for me to sit there and know that I can do better, and I should be doing better. But you know, I’m going to try and change my attitude and be a lot better for the Presidents Cups that I can play in.”

 

Aussies in action/Badds withdraws

Aaron Baddeley has played quite a fair bit of golf this year – 10 events already and it’s only the end of April. The 38-year-old Australian was scheduled to play with Canadian Adam Hadwin at TPC Louisiana but withdrew injured on Wednesday from the Zurich and will be replaced by unheralded Jim Knous. We hope Badds has a speedy recovery, particularly because he has played some solid golf this year – with good chances to win, including the Puerto Rico Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and at the event in the Dominican Republic. Baddeley’s WD leaves the Australian contingent at Zurich with Day/ Scott, 2017 champions Cameron Smith/Jonas Blixt (Sweden), Rod Pampling/John Senden, Cameron Davis/Kyle Jones (US), Matt Jones/J.J. Spaun (US) and Curtis Luck/Hank Lebioda (US).

 

The Koepkas

Brooks Koepka’s brother, Chase, can play. He’s on the European Tour but has not had any decent results for some time. The world No.924 will partner his three-time Major winner brother at the Zurich for the second time, having tied for fifth in 2017. But how would Chase’s PGA Tour status work if they were to win? Winners of the Zurich do not get world rankings points or an invitation to the Masters, but they do get a two-year PGA Tour exemption. FedEx Cup points are distributed as though team partners tied. Meaning, champions split the 500 points usually given to a tournament winner and the 300 for second place – so 400 points each. Five of the past seven editions have crowned a first-time PGA Tour winner, including Smith in its first year in the team format. He paired with Jonas Blixt.

 

Guide to the Zurich Classic: format, purse

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a two-man teams event that sees competitors play fourball in rounds one and three as well as foursome for rounds two and four. It used to be the reverse, but officials flipped the order so that the final round was more volatile with foursomes (or alternate shot, as the American commentators will probably call it) being a tougher format. There are 80 teams on the par-72, 7,245-yard TPC Louisiana course this week – all vying for the $US2,102,400 winner’s share (the winners split that amount) of the $US7.3 million purse. There will be a cut to the low 35 teams and ties.

 

Special mention

Spare a thought for former Web.com Tour winner and television broadcaster Ewan Porter. The Australian is teeing it up at the Trophee Hassan II event in Morocco this week – his first European Tour event since the same tournament in 2013. He is using 2003 model Ping G2 irons, a TaylorMade R1 and a RBZ 3-wood. “This is not a comeback, rather a cameo,” Porter tells Australian Golf Digest.