2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Set to Begin Amid Strong Competition

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — The 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event, kicks off on Thursday, April 24, at TPC Louisiana. Eighty teams will compete in both best-ball and alternate shot formats throughout the four-day tournament.

Defending champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry enter the competition as favorites, listed at +350 odds. They will need to fend off several top contenders, including Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama at 12-1 odds, and J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell at 16-1, to secure another victory.

The tournament will have its first round start at 8 a.m. ET, with McIlroy and Lowry teeing off at 8:52 a.m. ET. Finishing first would make them the first pair in history to successfully defend their title in this event.

SportsLine, a prediction model created by DFS pro Mike McClure, has seen great success since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020, reportedly netting over $9,000 through its best bets. The model has predicted outcomes accurately for 14 major tournaments, adding to its credibility.

This year, SportsLine simulated the Zurich Classic 10,000 times and found intriguing results. Surprisingly, Morikawa and Kitayama, despite their combined seven PGA Tour wins, are expected to struggle, barely making it into the top five.

Meanwhile, longshots Brice Garnett and Sepp Straka, at odds of 33-1, are gaining attention. Garnett ranks seventh in driving accuracy and Straka leads the tour in strokes gained: approach to green, making them a tempting pick for bettors.

As anticipation builds for the tournament, the focus remains on which team will take home the trophy and pull off potential upsets this week in New Orleans.