Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana & NFL Draft
This week the PGA Tour offers up the lone team event on the schedule. The Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana just outside of New Orleans. Last year the tandem of Nick Hardy and Davis Riley shot 30 under par to earn the valuable 2 year Tour card.
The tournament is actually a fun event to watch since the format of best ball/alt shot/best ball/alt shot over the 4 rounds respectively, allows for extremely aggressive play in rounds 1 & 3 mixed with strategy in rounds 2 & 4.
Here is the skinny on the course:
TPC Louisiana in Avondale, LA
Par 72, 7,425 yards
Team event: 80 two-man teams with top 33 and ties make the cut
Pete Dye design, wetlands course, big fairways, typically yields low scores, big ball park — 30% of approaches over 200 yards
One of the flattest courses on the tour so flat lies in the fairway which can help with those long approach shots
106 bunkers on the course, the 3rd most on the PGA Tour
Seven water danger holes
4 par 3s, each between 200-225 yards, 3 of the 6 toughest holes
4 of the Par 4 holes are over 475 yards
4 par 5s and three of them are the must birdie holes and are reachable so eagles are achievable
Greens: small (13th smallest on Tour), Bermuda overseeded with Poa Trivialis, 12 on the stimpmeter
Rough: 2” Bermuda so very playable to encourage low scores
Two correlated courses of note: TPC Twin Cities and Detroit Golf Club
Key stats: SG Approach, Par 5 scoring, SG Putting, Approach from 200+ yards
Teams on this week’s betting card:
Nate Lashley/Rafael Campos Top 20 (including ties) +250 BetMGM
Thriston Lawrence/Adlrich Potieger Top 20 (including ties) +260 BetMGM
Jimmy Stanger/Adrien Dumont de Chassart Top 20 (including ties) +300 BetMGM
Brandon Wu/Justin Lower 1st Round Top 5 (inc. ties) +1100 BetMGM
Quick NFL draft betting thoughts:
Here’s the deal with the NFL draft - Nobody knows a damn thing aside from Caleb Williams going #1 overall.
The sports media uses this week to bait you into clicking on stories with salacious headlines aka engagement farming.
Don’t fall for it in terms of making bets.
Best advice we can offer - look for contrarian opportunities in the betting market.
For instance, everyone keeps saying the Chargers are taking Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze. Jim Harbaugh believes unequivocally that the offensive line is the backbone of his team’s culture and toughness.
At FanDuel, Joe Alt is +430 to be the #5 overall pick, currently held by the Chargers. Certainly don’t go crazy, but that is worth a small bet.
We got Alt to go #5 at +475 at Draftkings last week, but they have moved it to +360, so hopefully that line value pays off.
If you want some action on long shot bets, then there are plenty of those on the board.
Currently FanDuel has JJ McCarthy 20/1 to go 7th which would require the Titans to trade out to allow a suitor to come up to 7. Or maybe the Titans are sour on Levis.
Marvin Harrison Jr. to be pick #3 is 31/1 at FanDuel. If you think the Patriots don’t go QB or perhaps trade out of #3, then the Pats or another club can take the perceived best player in the draft.
Enjoy the NFL Draft this week and the golf this weekend!