Attacking the Green!: 2026 Zurich Classic Stats Breakdown and Best Bets

Welcome back, golf fans. After going from the Masters to the fourth signature event of the season at the RBC Heritage, the PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic and something a little different. Positioned right after a major and signature event has not done any favours to the Zurich Classic field, which consists of just one Top 10 and just seven Top 50 players in the DataGolf World rankings.

The Zurich Classic has been hosted at TPC Louisiana since 2005, and in 2017, the event was converted to a team event. Players partner up and play two different formats through the event, starting with Four-Ball (best score) on Thursday, followed by Foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday. After the second round, a cut of the Top 33 pairs and ties advance to the weekend and play Four-Ball on Saturday and Foursomes on Sunday.

The Course: TPC Louisiana

For the second straight week, the tour will play on a Pete Dye designed course, but TPC Louisiana is a little different in that it provides more scoring opportunities as a TPC course. That shows in the stats as scoring average is just over a stroke and a half below par, and the winner has been in the -20 to -30 range each year it has played as a team event.

Like other Pete Dye courses, positioning off the tee is important with long bunkers, water, trees, and doglegs playing defense. With that in mind, players often lean on a heavy “less than driver” strategy, which has led to a very high average fairways hit %. That in turn has led to a high GIR rate despite some smaller-than-average green sizes (average of 5,225 sq ft).

Stats & Trends That Matter: Finding the 2026 Zurich Classic Champions

Top Stats/Trends:

With a team event, I will be looking at a lot of the data as a combined team number, not just an individual perspective. I should help us distinguish between which teams are coming in with the best form and event history. With that said, here are the top stats this week.

• Strokes Gained: Approach – If you aren’t hitting north of 70% greens in regulation this week, you will fade down the leaderboard that requires a very low score to win.
• Birdie or Better % – With low scores means a lot of birdies!
• Event History – With the uniqueness of this event, it makes sense to look at players who have done well in this format, especially teams that have been together for multiple events and enjoyed success.
• Current Form – Always important, but more so coming into a unique event like this with form and not looking for something, especially during an alternate shot.

Brooks Koepka/Shane Lowry (+1500 Outright)

There is almost always a top team winning or in the mix in this event, and Koepka/Lowry check all the boxes this week. Lowry won this event in 2024 with Rory McIlroy; Koepka was Top 5 back in 2017, and they have combined to make six of eight cuts. As a team, they lead the field in current form as Koepka has finished 18th or better in four of his last five events. Lowry is coming off an ugly final round 80 at the Masters, but the good news is he has shot in the 60’s in six of his last eight rounds. Finally, they lead the field in my combined stats model as well, ranking 1st in both SG: Approach and Birdie or Better %. My pick to win and top outright bet this week.

Michael Thorbjornsen/Karl Vilips (+2100 Outright / +325 Top 5)

This pairing looked good in their first Zurich Classic a season ago, finishing T4 with a score of -25, just three off the winners. Their week was highlighted by rounds of 64 and 60 in Four-Ball and the fourth-best final round Foursomes score of 68. They have solid form ranking just outside the Top 10 in my combined form metric, and while they rank outside of 25th in my stats model, there is a lot to like about their combined games. Thorbjornsen ranks 15th in this field in SG: Tee to Green, is 3rd in Total Driving, and is one of just six players to rank Top 25 in both distance and accuracy, and is 15th in par 4 scoring. Vilips is slightly above average with his irons and has been near elite with the putter, sitting 5th in this field in SG: Putting (+.630) on the season. Better yet, they are one of just 13 teams that combined for over a 45% birdie or better rate. They are one of my favorites to win this week, and I will also be betting them in the Top 5 market.

Chad Ramey/Justin Lower (+6800 Outright / +390 Top 10)

For the second straight year, Ramey and Lower will team up for the Zurich, and collectively they have some nice course history. Ramey tallied back-to-back Top 10’s with Martin Trainer in 2023 and 2024 before making three in a row last year. Lower has made the cut in three of four trips to the Zurich Classic with two Top 10’s himself. They don’t really fit the stats model outside of Ramey’s plus putting, but that hasn’t mattered in the past. Ramey also has the better form of the two, making nine of 10 cuts so far in 2026. They both play this event well and also played well together last year. They are one of my dark horses to win, and I also like the Top 10 market this week.

Jordan Smith/Haotong Li (+2200 Outright / +370 Top 5 / +172 Top 10)

While these two lack event history (Smith MC last year), they check a lot of other boxes this week. After a strong start to the season, Li hit a slump, missing the cut in four straight. He somewhat broke out at the Masters with back-to-back 69’s on Friday and Saturday before an ugly 10 on hole 13 on Sunday led to an eventual 80! Smith, on the other hand, has been in a nice groove lately, making the cut in five of his last seven events, including a 3rd at the Valspar and three other Top 25 finishes. What really stands out for me with this group is that both players are Top 10 in SG: Ball Striking and Total Driving, Top 30 in Driving Accuracy, 33rd or better in Proximity from 150-175, 175-200, and 200+ yards, and both are Top 25 in Birdie or Better %. It will be a smaller bet on the outright, with most of my exposure coming in the Top 5 and Top 10 markets.