Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – 2021 Zurich Classic

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2021 Zurich Classic

The 2021 Zurich Classic Fantasy Preview

He’s an oldie, but a goodie.

Stewart Cink might have just clocked up 47 years on this planet but he’s still going strong – actually, the veteran is playing some of the best golf of his career right now.

A winner of the Safeway Open in September, Cink added his second PGA TOUR title of the campaign – only Bryson DeChambeau is the other player that can say that – by triumphing with consummate ease at the RBC Heritage.

Another similarity between the pair, in a fashion, is how far they hit the ball – Cink, closing in on his Champions TOUR invitation, still whacks it an absolute mile, and led the field in driving distance at the Harbour Town Links.

And that, allied with an exemplary iron and wedge game, guided him to an opening pair of 63s – in truth, nobody was going to catch him from there.

The wily old campaigner used all of his experience gained from seven previous TOUR wins to hold off a chasing pack that, in truth, never got close enough to strike. Cink, with his son on the bag, has been an absolute revelation this season.

Normally at this point in the schedule we would have a week off from DFS gaming, but DK have come up with a unique point scoring format for the team-based Zurich Classic and so we are able to dive in once more.

Last Week’s Fantasy Results

Not much to report back on from last week. Honestly, we just didn’t see the 47-year-old Cink hanging in such a tough field at Harbour Town.   

Our top guy Webb Simpson finished T9 and our best finish was a T7 by Chris Kirk.

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The 2021 Zurich Classic Field

It’s a game of pairs this week, and leading the way – as far as the sportsbooks are concerned anyway – are defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer.

There’s plenty of intriguing duos this week, with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay having a Ryder Cup quality to it and Australian duo Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith bringing plenty to the table.

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Tony Finau will be aided by the ballistic driving of Cameron Champ, while Collin Morikawa will be hoping to see the best from Matt Wolff in what has been a rocky year for the youngster.

Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler catches the eye, as does the English duo of Tyrrell Hatton and former Masters champion Danny Willett.

This Week’s Course Preview

It’s off to TPC Louisiana this week where, once again, we find ourselves on a slice of Pete Dye real estate!

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This track features many of his trademarks, but it has to be said it is perhaps much more agreeable than his other layouts used on the PGA TOUR.

There are more than 100 bunkers on the premises and five water hazards, but note that TPC Louisiana is constructed on wetlands – the softer conditions lend themselves to darts at the flagstick from all angles.

This is a less-than-driver track even though it measures 7,400 yards for its Par 72, and the generous fairways will tempt some to go for the big stick – two rounds are played to ‘best ball’ rules, so why the heck not?

The greens, which are Bermuda that have been overseeded with Poa and Bentgrass, are small in size and run at a slick 12 on the stimp.

Winning scores in this event have all been -22 or even lower, so you can see how Dye must have been in a good mood when he drew up the plans for TPC Louisiana.

Weather Forecast for New Orleans, LA

It’s a fairly warm week in Avondale, but note the rain that could be a feature on Friday and Saturday.

Thursday dawns dry enough, with decent temperatures of 71˚F and a breeze of 1 3mph.

Then we can group Friday and Saturday together. Both will be pleasant enough temperature wise – 75˚F and 80˚F respectively – but with the chance of rain at least 60% we’re expecting a bit of the wet stuff to fall. With TPC Louisiana being a soft course at the best of times, that could make for some interesting scoring.

At least Sunday, with its warm and dry forecast, should offer plenty of cheer for the players.

NEW ORLEANS WEATHER

Last Year’s Results from the Zurich Classic

The Zurich Classic was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but in 2019 Rahm and Palmer won in fine style.

They compiled an outstanding -26 to win by three from Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood, with a rash of birdies keeping them one step ahead of the field. It was Palmer’s first PGA TOUR win in nine years.

Back in T3 you had the eclectic pairings of KH Lee and Matt Every, and Brian Gay and Rory Sabbatini.

Jon Rahm & Ryan Palmer’s Round 4 highlights from Zurich Classic 2019

During final-round Foursomes at the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer card a 3-under 69 to take the lead and earn a win on Sunday. SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh Zurich Classic of New Orleans is held at TPC Louisiana.

Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the Zurich Classic this Week

A new format, new rules and a new way to cash in these value-adding DFS contests!

• PGA $600k Resurgence: This first-ever look at DFS gaming for the Zurich Classic offers opportunities, and those who can find an edge in their selections will cherish this huge contest – buy in for $10, walk away with $200k if you lead the way.
• PGA $50k Birdie: You might want to tread carefully this week – that’s fair enough – so tighten your belt with this $3 entry contest. The winner will still bank $5k, and there’s plenty of bankroll-boosting consolation prizes too.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the 2021 Zurich Classic 

First, let’s take care of a couple of pieces of housekeeping.

The first is the rules that DraftKings has chosen to adopt. You can only draft one player from each pairing, but both players will get the same score for each hole – in best ball and alternate shot.

Now let’s consider the rules of the tournament. Rounds one and three are played to the Best Ball rules – i.e. the best score is recorded, while rounds two and four are classic Foursomes – where the players take it in turns to hit the tee shot from one hole to the next.

The 35 best teams will make the cut.

As you can see, driving is all important in this event – particularly in Foursomes, where one weak hitter can really leave their teammate with so much to do.

Of course, TPC Louisiana will be set up nice and easy and so making birdies will be crucial – ideally, you want a pairing where either player is capable of going under par.

And then think about the Foursomes action – you want a team that compliments each other from a skillset perspective. A team that features a pair of strong drivers, with one strong iron hitter and one solid with the flat stick, is always likely to thrive in this format.

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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the 2021 Zurich Classic

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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win The 2021 Zurich Classic

Top Tier Pick #1:

Scottie Scheffler (Odds: 14/1, FPPG: 70.1, GPFP: 54.70 Salary: $10,900)

(partnered by Bubba Watson)

Two excellent drivers of the ball, Scottie Scheffler and Bubba Watson will at least give themselves chances to score on a tamable TPC Louisiana.

Scheffler is an excellent talent, very much a part of the contemporary bomb-and-gouge brigade, but he is so long off the tee and so steady from 150 yards and in that he would be a danger in a traditional strokeplay event this week – the Texan will love being in Louisiana.

Bubba does what Bubba does – mercurial off the tee and an underrated iron hitter, he like many other ball-strikers falls down on and around the greens.

Neither can putt, which might be an issue, but fast greens seem to bring the best out of them and their strong tee game will be an asset in both of the formats of the Zurich Classic.

Key Stats:

• SG: Off-the-Tee – 16th
• Birdie Average – 16th
• SG: Around-the-Green – 22nd

Top Tier Pick #2:

Tony Finau (Odds: 14/1, FPPG: 69.5, GPFP: 105.33 Salary: $10,700)

(partnered by Cameron Champ)

In Tony Finau, we have a player with no weaknesses in his game apart from, as is well documented, that ability to get over the line.

The low-key, high spirits of the Zurich Classic may just help with that, as will partnering with a guy who has already won twice on the PGA TOUR in an impressive start to his young career.

Imagine partnering with Champ, a guy who can hit 320-yard drives as straight as you like! That has to build confidence, and it might just free up Finau in the scoring phase of the game.

Champ is a handy putter as well, and so there doesn’t seem to be any weaknesses in this duo’s make-up.

Key Stats:

• SG: Approach – 8th
• SG: Around-the-Green – 33rd
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 34th

Mid-Tier Pick #1: 

Branden Grace (Odds: 28/1, FPPG: 57.2, GPFP: 57.22 Salary: $9,600)

(partnered by Harold Varner III)

For a player that is excellent when approaching greens, Harold Varner III’s putting was certainly eye-catching at the RBC Heritage.

That form with the flat stick propelled him to T3 at Harbour Town, and so he carries with him plenty of good vibes to Louisiana.

No stranger to good vibes right now, Branden Grace won the Puerto Rico Open not many moons ago and followed up with impressive top-30s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Texas Open.

If the wind gets up, Grace will feel right at home and with a happy Varner III in his corner it could make for an interesting pairing.

Key Stats:

• Scoring Average – 35th
• SG: Approach-the-Green – 52nd
• SG: Tee-to-Green – 55th

Mid-Tier Pick #2: 

Andrew Putnam (Odds: 175/1, FPPG: 70.4, GPFP: 43.24 Salary: $6,600)

(partnered by Scott Harrington)

Here’s another ball striking and short game duo that could thrive in the Foursomes part of the event.

While he is rarely consistently good enough for 72 holes, Scott Harrington can turn it on in flashes and can hit darts at pins on softer greens.

In Andrew Putnam, he will have a partner who is happy enough on and around the greens, and that rescue act – which allows Harrington to attempt to hit it close without fear – could yield dividends at TPC Louisiana.

Key Stats:

• Scrambling – 7th
• SG: Putting – 23rd
• SG: Around-the-Green – 54th

Low-Tier Pick: 

Bronson Burgoon (Odds: 250/1, FPPG: 71.0, GPFP: 40.57 Salary: $6,300)

(partnered by Hank Lebioda)

On paper, this is another pairing that doesn’t seem to have much of a chance, but it’s always amazed us how Hank Lebioda hasn’t done more in the game given his ball-striking excellence.

He probably needs somebody who is more comfortable on the greens – step forward Bronson Burgoon, who is a streaky sort of hot handed putter when on song.

Six cuts in his last seven starts will give Burgoon confidence, and he can perhaps help Lebioda to find those ball-striking talents that are definitely in the bag on a more consistent basis.

Key Stats:

• Scrambling – 54th
• SG: Around-the-Green – 89th
• SG: Putting – 91st

Sleeper Pick for the 2021 Zurich Classic

Richy Werenski (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 71.0, GPFP: 44.19 Salary: $7,100)

(partnered by Peter Uihlein)

Peter Uihlein won the MGM Resorts Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour last week, and that comes less than a month after he was solo second in the KFT’s own jaunt to Louisiana.

He will have plenty of confidence then, and maybe some of that will rub off on Richy Werenski – a fine talent who seems to have lost his way of late.

Three missed cuts have followed an excellent T4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – if Werenski brings some of that magic this week, this pairing could surprise plenty.

With 15 top-ten finishes to his name, Kokrak is overdue a maiden PGA Tour title.

 Key Stats:

• Total Eagles: 17th
• Par 5 Scoring Average: 44th
• Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders: 96th

Alternative Sleeper Pick for the 2021 Zurich Classic 

Adam Schenk (Odds: 125/1, FPPG: 70.8, GPFP: 41.28 Salary: $6,800)

(partnered by Tyler Duncan)

The format of this event, and its positioning in the schedule, does lend itself to a surprise winner.

And boy, would it be a shock if these two won. That said, Adam Schenk is an excellent driver of the ball who showed some class with irons in hand at the RBC Heritage.

Tyler Duncan, when the going is good, is a prolific GIR merchant, and if just one of this duo has a strong week with the putter then they could surprise plenty.

Key Stats:

• Scrambling – 22nd
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 78th
• Birdie Average – 88th

This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup

Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only.  Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”6.87%” bar_text=13 out of 189 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”17.46%” bar_text=”33 out of 189 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”34.90%” bar_text=”66 out of 189 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”22.22%” bar_text=”6 out of 27 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”3.70%” bar_text=”1 out of 27 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”73.02%” bar_text=”138 out of 189 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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Cover Photo via Instagram