The Zurich Classic of New Orleans checks many boxes, each with a unique impact in the context of a full season, so the team format sort of doubles as a chance to mingle and reset for what follows.
The only official team competition of the PGA TOUR season slots among the parade of majors and Signature Events that will extend into mid-July, so it’s established as a timely wrinkle with a twist of fun.
This tournament also serves as the annual arrival at the summit when fields expand to their maximum thanks to extended daylight hours. This one boasts a season-high 160 (to accommodate 80 teams of two), while THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson next week is the first of nine non-majors reserved for 156 before the FedExCup Playoffs. This is critical for golfers deeper in the Priority Ranking, who can have the choice to play as often as they can on the PGA TOUR or commit to a regular cadence of Korn Ferry Tour action in their pursuit of fully exempt status in 2026. Monitoring this subset of membership always has value in full-season fantasy leagues, so we should be collecting reliable data on those decisions rapidly.
Because of the format at TPC Louisiana, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore is dark. However, private leagues and bettors never take time off, so this weekly column includes some of the recurring sections below. The full-throated version will return with this website’s game next week. If you’re a gamer here, take advantage of the break and consider mapping out remaining starts for the golfers you’re most likely to select.
Of the five tournaments remaining in Segment 2, the Truist Championship and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday are Signature Events, rewarding 70 FedExCup bonus points to their winners. Each will host 72 golfers. The Truist will not have a cut, but it will be played at the largely unfamiliar Philadelphia Cricket Club. The Memorial will be played as usual at Muirfield Village, but it will have a 36-hole cut. In tiebreaker situations, course knowledge in Ohio is useful.
The PGA Championship, which awards its champ 75 FedExCup bonus points, also remains in Segment 2. It will be contested at Quail Hollow Club, which typically hosts the Truist, so track records on it should be considered into your calculus relative to your opposition. However, because of the heightened dynamics of the major, it is not as important as the Memorial in that regard.
If you’re not already aware, after promoting Expert Picks for every tournament on my X, I follow up with the updated standings of the six players in my little league. I’ve been lurking in second place for a while now and have 6,835 points through the conclusion of the RBC Heritage. Of course, you can always search for anyone on the Rankings page of the game.
Careful
For almost every tournament, a usually impressive subset of the field warrants avoiding, and it might be represented in my Power Rankings, which is not written in the context of any fantasy golf format. In this section, I single out who demands pause and why.
Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama … Trap. Hopes were higher last year when Morikawa had just turned a serious corner and Kitayama was in form. They settled at T23 as a first-time tandem. A year later and Morikawa is the same, but Kitayama has struggled considerably with zero top 30s and only five cuts made in 10 starts. The optimist would lean into their friendship and that they’ve been through this before, but you’ll get much more value with emergent talent down boards.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick … After splashing with a T19 in 2023, they earned more faith and delivered a T11 last year, but it’s been a rough cycle since for the brothers from England. Turn the clock no further back than last week for Matt. His pedestrian T38 at Harbour Town – one of his favorite places and where he prevailed in 2023 – extended his drought without a top-15 finish anywhere to 10 months. It’s been over seven months for the same for Alex, who has missed four of six cuts in 2025.
Davis Riley and Nick Hardy … They’ll always share their breakthrough victory on the PGA TOUR because it happened at TPC Louisiana in 2023, and they did in record fashion in 30-under 258. In the two years since, Hardy has recorded only two top 10s, while Riley has won again (2024 Charles Schwab Challenge) en route to three top 10s, two of which in his most recent five starts. So, while the vibes should always be positive on this property, Hardy will have his hands full in compartmentalizing the potential impact of his slump. Repeat success would make for an emotional story, but gamers and bettors are advised to abstain.
Bud Cauley and Kevin Tway … This isn’t meant to pick on Tway, but this duo is a good example of many in the field consisting of talents arriving from opposite ends of the spectrum of form, and it must be respected. Despite a spirited 2024, Tway settled for conditional status this season, during which he’s just 2-for-4 and without a top 50. (He’s been similarly quiet in two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.) Meanwhile, Cauley has been a beast since fulfilling his Major Medical Extension with a T6 at THE PLAYERS Championship. He’s added a pair of top fives and closed out a T32 at the RBC Heritage with a field-low 64. Treat all tandems that fit their model as speculative in the betting market and temper your expectations.
Returning to competition
Taylor Moore … Perhaps the fourth time’s the charm. After withdrawing early from the Texas Children’s Houston Open with an injured rib, he decommitted from his next two scheduled starts. This is his fourth straight appearance at TPC Louisiana, but it’s his first with someone other than Matt NeSmith (who is teamed with PGA TOUR rookie Will Chandler). Moore has joined forces with Wyndham Clark, so this duo could flash some fireworks provided that Moore is all the way back. They have three top-four finishes in the last three editions combined.
Lanto Griffin … Called it quits after one round at Corales due to a sore hip. The medalist at Q-School opened the season with some gusto that lifted him to 11th in his category when it was recently reordered, but he’s cashed just once in his last five starts spanning that improvement. He’s 0-for-2 in this tournament and partnered with Cameron Champ, who is navigating 2025 via past champion status.
Scott Stallings … No, he’s not back inside the ropes; well, not on the golf course at least. The 40-year-old participated in the Boston Marathon on Monday. He’s been chronicling the experience, training and all things related to the annual race on his Instagram. As for his day job, the New England native remains on a long-term mend after having surgery on his left arm and shoulder in June of last year. He’s hopeful for a return late this year, but there is no rush. Whenever he does, he’ll have 20 starts on a Major Medical Extension.
Notable W/Ds
Gary Woodland … He was poised to partner with Lee Hodges and reverse their result from last year’s misfire (MC). While the tournament has zero impact on one’s divisor for the Official World Golf Ranking, the week off gives Woodland additional rest ahead of the PGA Championship. He’s not yet in the field, but he’s 93rd in the OWGR. The top 100 at the conclusion of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson next week are expected to gain entry. It’s a traditional cutoff for the major.