Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: RBC Heritage (Matt Fitzpatrick)
THIS WEEK: Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Avondale, La., April 20-23
Course: TPC Louisiana (Par 72, 7,425 yards)
Purse: $8.6 million (Winner: $1,242,700 each)
Defending Champions: Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming on ESPN+: Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Friday, 9:15 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 8:45 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: @Zurich_Classic
NOTES: This is the sixth year of the two-man format for the only team event on the PGA Tour schedule. The field is comprised of 80 teams, which will compete in Four-ball in the first and third rounds and Foursomes in the second and final rounds. … Five of the top six finishers in last week’s RBC Heritage are in the field, including champion Fitzpatrick, who will play this week with his brother, Alex. Alex will make his second career start on the PGA Tour, with the other being a missed cut at last year’s Valspar Championship. … Both Ryder Cup captains are paired with one of their vice-captains this week. United States captain Zach Johnson is playing with Steve Stricker, while Team Europe captain Luke Donald is paired with Eduardo Molinari. … The only team made up of major champions is John Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship and The Open in 1995, and David Duval, who claimed The Open in 2001. They also make up the oldest team in the field with an average age of 54.25, while Harry Hall and Akshay Bhatia comprise the youngest at 23.52.
BEST BETS: Cantlay and Schauffele (+300 at BetMGM) set the tournament scoring record of 29-under 259 last year and are coming off third- and fourth-place finishes last week, respectively. They are also the only team comprised of two players ranked in the top five in the world rankings. … Collin Morikawa and Max Homa (+750) are both ranked in the top 13 in the world, while Homa is the highest-ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings at No. 4. … Billy Horschel and Sam Burns (+1400) finished solo second last year. Horschel teamed with Scott Piercy to win the event in 2018 and also won the individual format in 2013. Burns, ranked No. 12 in the world, won the WGC-Match Play last month. … Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim (+1400) also competed together in the 2022 Presidents Cup, where they beat Cantlay and Schauffele 1-up in Four-ball. They are also the only team made up of players who have each won on tour this season.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Mexico Open at Vidanta, Vallarta, Mexico, April 27-30
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Lotte Championship (Grace Kim)
THIS WEEK: The Chevron Championship, The Woodlands, Texas, April 20-23
Course: The Club at Carlton Woods, Jack Nicklaus Signature Course (Par 72, 6,824 yards)
Purse: $5.1M
Defending Champion: Jennifer Kupcho
Race to the CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. (GC), 4-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 6-8 p.m. ET (golfchannel.com, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock); Saturday-Sunday, 2-3 p.m. (Peacock), 3-4 p.m. (golfchannel.com, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock), 4-6 p.m. (NBCSports.com, NBC Sports, and Peacock)
Twitter: @Chevron_Golf
NOTES: This is the first of five majors on the LPGA tour this year, with the event moving to Texas after more than five decades at the Dinah Shore Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The Woodlands, located about 30 minutes north of Houston, has played host to numerous amateur championships, but this will be the first LPGA Tour and major held at the venue. … The 132-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. The field includes the top 20 players in the Rolex Rankings and 29 major champions. … Dottie Pepper holds the tournament scoring record of 269, which was set at the Dinah Shore Course in 1999. … Three of the first six events of 2023 have featured first-time Rolex winners. … Ko, 25, needs only two points to become the youngest player ever to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: JM Eagle LA Championship, Los Angeles, April 27-30
Champions Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Galleri Classic (David Toms)
THIS WEEK: Invited Celebrity Classic, Irving, Texas, April 21-23
Course: Las Colinas Country Club (Par 71, 6,703 yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Scott Parel
Charles Schwab Cup leader: David Toms
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Friday, 9-11 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, tape delayed); Saturday-Sunday, 4-7 p.m. (GC)
Twitter: @ChampionsTour, #InvitedCelebrityClassic
NOTES: This is the seventh of 28 events on the 2023 schedule following a three-week break. … The 54-hole event features 78 professionals playing in a stroke-play format alongside 40 celebrities competing in the modified Stableford Scoring System. The celebrity division includes World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam. Former tennis pro Mardy Fish is the defending celebrity champion. … Parel tied the tournament scoring record last year of 202 that is shared by Gene Sauers and Steven Alker.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Insperity Invitational, The Woodlands, Texas, April 21-23
–Field Level Media