2024 Zurich Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

Scottie Scheffler wasn’t supposed to win the RBC Heritage.

He was supposed to have a ‘hangover’ from winning The Masters. 

He was supposed to be tired from jetting back to Dallas to spend time with his heavily pregnant wife. 

He was supposed to struggle after playing just nine practice holes at Harbour Town. 

He was supposed to be hampered by a less-than-driver golf course that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to his natural game.

But, of course, we’re dealing with a generational talent here. A player who one day we’ll tell our golf mad grandchildren about, in the same way generations passed have spoken about Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and co.

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If he hadn’t bogeyed the last hole after cantering into an unsurmountable lead, Scheffler would have racked up his third win by four shots or more this season, and his fourth in all in his last starts. This is dominance of the sport we’ve only seen a handful of times over the past century.

It’s all bad news for bettors, of course, because it’s very difficult to weigh in with a wager on any players that’s single digit odds – even one of Scheffler’s all-time class.

But here’s some good news: he ain’t playing at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week.

This unique pairs event seems to have tickled the fancy of some top PGA TOUR stars nonetheless, with Rory McIlroy amongst those tempted to head to Louisiana and make a debut in the tournament.

He will team up with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry, while Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay will renew their on-course bromance that has carried them through Ryder Cups and to this title in 2022.

Sahith Theegala – who won the QBE Shootout with Tom Hoge in 2022 – partners Will Zalatoris, while the in-form Collin Morikawa teams up with Kurt Kitayama.

Many other alliances will form to try and wrestle the title away from Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, who surprised everyone – other than themselves, perhaps – when they won this title 12 months ago with a record low score of -30.

They played well in both formats, which ultimately proved vital. Rounds one and three are better ball, which basically means that both players play their ball as normal, with the best score put forward for each hole.

Rounds two and four are alternate shot, and it’s this format which is perhaps the most interesting for us – it enables quality ball-strikers to be paired with expert putters, which can create a Frankenstein’s monster of a winning golfer.

TPC Louisiana, the host venue, is a Pete Dye design, but it’s not quintessential Dye by any means. There’s wide open fairways, water in play on just eight holes, and greens that, while smallish, are easy to find and hold.

There’s no strokes gained data available from this event, so our betting strategy is to try and unearth those pairings that will benefit the most from the alternate shot format – i.e. those who will team up with a player who can mask their weaknesses, while allowing their own strengths to shine.

With that in mind, here’s our sleeper shortlist for the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans….

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2023-2024)

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