Zurich Classic Betting: 10 Connections To Consider

No matter how much you support the use of advanced analytics when breaking down the odds and making golf wagers for a given tournament, it’s undeniable that intangibles – those little things that don’t show up in the statistical data – can have a massive impact on the overall result.

Whether a player is brimming with good vibes after the birth of a child or recently decided to fire a swing instructor and start working on a new move, in a sport that is as much mental and psychological as physical and technical, it’s important to understand that not everything can be predicted purely based on numbers.

Perhaps there’s no event where this idea rings truer than this week’s Zurich Classic, which introduces the variable of each player competing alongside a partner for all four rounds.

Not every winning duo in New Orleans are best buds, and not every team of great pals can win, of course, but if we’re seeking to uncover some intangibles, it might be wise to figure out which teams have a real connection which could lead to success. 

Here are 10 to consider when making your golf betting picks.

Zurich Classic Betting: 10 Connections To Consider

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (+450 odds to win)

No team in this week’s field has played more high-level competitive golf as teammates as Cantlay and Schauffele, who won this event two years ago, have a T-4 and T-11 here, and own a 6-5-0 record as partners at the Ryder and Presidents Cups. While many players will be finding out more about their partner’s game as they prep for this week, these two already have a built-in level of experience.

Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry (+750)

Plenty of good decisions often happen over a liquid lunch. McIlroy recently told Golf.com that it was during a “really drunken lunch” after last year’s Ryder Cup that he and Lowry broached the idea of playing this event together. There aren’t many players who could convince Rory to play this one, but an opportunity to team with his buddy sounded like too much fun to pass up.

Corey Conners/Taylor Pendrith (+2500) and Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin (+3300)

The guess here is that these four affable Canadians could’ve flipped a tee and been fine with wherever it landed for the teams. They’re not just playing for fun, though. Ask any of the PGA Tour’s Canadian players, and they’ll each insist it would mean the world to compete in this year’s Presidents Cup in their homeland. This should serve as a nice dress rehearsal to show off for captain Mike Weir.

Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick (+2500)

On the surface, this might have the feel of a Brooks Koepka/Chase Koepka alliance, with a major-winning big bro trying to use his talents to earn some points and money for little bro. The younger Fitz, though, is now a card-carrying member of the DP World Tour, ranked 147th in the world, with seven top-25s in his last 10 starts on that circuit.

Nicolai Hojgaard/Rasmus Hojgaard (+2500) and Parker Coody/Pierceson Coody (+9000)

Brothers? Ha, big deal. The Fitzpatrick boys have nothing on these two sets of twins, who should know their partners’ games pretty well by now. And they’ve got another built-in advantage, too: If, say, Rasmus isn’t hitting the ball well, who’s to say Nicolai can’t just hit every single shot in the alternate shot format. What, like you’re gonna be able to tell ‘em apart?

Austin Eckroat/Chris Gotterup (+4500)

Find yourself a true friend like this: After finishing T-35 at last month’s Cognizant Classic, Gotterup returned for the Monday finish in a t-shirt and backward cap to cheer on his buddy Eckroat, who eventually won by three strokes. If that doesn’t sound like much, take a look at this week’s field list and try to figure out how many of these players would do the same thing for their partner.

Francesco Molinari/Luke Donald (+20000)

It’s tough to beat the bond of Ryder Cup teammates – especially those who have never lost while in the same team room. Though Molinari and Donald never competed as partners, they each served on the roster of the winning European side in 2010 and 2012, then the former took on the role of assistant for the latter’s captaincy during another victory last year.

Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown (+30000)

Look, not all close relationships are going to lead to success this week, as the 300/1 price for this pair is surely justified, with Kiz finishing outside the top-50 in each of his last 22 stroke-play events and Brown falling outside the top-1,000 on the Official World Golf Ranking. That said, they shouldn’t be omitted from this list, as they’ve perhaps played more recreational golf together than any other duo in this field.