Team golf has its place, but if LIV Golf has taught me anything, it’s that team golf is best when it’s the exception, not the rule.

One of those exceptions is this week at the Zurich Classic, and even that barely qualifies.

This event just doesn’t have much juice, mostly because a lot of the top players skip it. The PGA TOUR should probably try to fix that, or just leave team golf to the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, but I’m just a lowly golf newsletter writer. No one at the PGA TOUR has asked for my vision of the future just yet.

Anyway, the first and third rounds are better ball. The second and fourth rounds are alternate shot.

This is also a tricky event to make picks for, especially since first-time teammates have won here before, so you can’t lean too hard on course history.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were one such team back in 2024.

This year, Rory is skipping it, so Lowry found a new partner in Brooks Koepka.

A win would go a long way for Brooks – it would secure a two-year exemption and get him into all the Signature Events.

Another reason this event is tough to handicap is that Data Golf doesn’t have betting tools or live coverage for it, so we’re flying blind.

Ready, fire, aim.

The Details

Previous Winners

How To Watch

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Weekly Bets: The RBC Heritage

We’ve partnered with Keith Stewart at Read The Line to share his weekly golf betting picks with the Caddyshanks crew. If you’re the type who enjoys breaking down matchups, spotting trends, and hunting for value, you’ll feel right at home in the RTL community.

Keith Stewart’s Picks

 

Aaron Rai – Sahith Theegala (+2150 DraftKings)

Looking for a breakout team? Pair a scorer with an extremely consistent ball striker. Aaron Rai works for the highway commission. The man paints straight lines with his golf shots. Precise, consistent, and calm. Sahith Theegala is a pure scorer. Together, they have eight appearances in the Zurich Classic and six top 25 finishes. I love Rai to keep Theegala out of trouble, and Sahith to help Aaron convert on the greens.

Chad Ramey – Justin Lower (+7200 DraftKings)

In his last three Zurich starts, Chad Ramey has finished ninth, second, and eighth. Justin Lower has two more top 10s in his last four starts in New Orleans. Neither guy is an elite player on the PGA TOUR, but when it comes to this team competition, they get it done. Ramey’s consistent ball striking and Lower’s ability to go low pair perfectly. With the reduced strength of the field, maybe two guys can break through as Griffin and Novak did one year ago.

Caddyshanks Picks

 

Brooks Koepka & Shane Lowry (+1450 Draftkings)

They’ve got the shortest odds in the field behind the Fitzpatrick brothers, so this is a storyline pick. With a win, Brooks secures his spot on the PGA TOUR for years to come.

Billy Horschel & Tom Hoge (+7000 Draftkings)

Horschel has won here as a solo and as part of a duo, and that’s about all you can hang your hat on with this team, but it’s a week to throw darts so here we are.

Blades Brown & Luke Clanton (+7000 Draftkings)

They’ve got to be the youngest team in the field, and I am pretty sure their combined age is still younger than Matt Kuchar, who’s also in the field. It would be a lot of fun to see two young guns in contention on Sunday.