The leaderboard is stacked and headed into the final round of the 2024 Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana. The unique two-man team event is the only of its kind on tour. And with the PGA Tour competing with LIV Golf Adelaide this weekend, they’re fortunate to have Rory McIlroy not only competing but just two shots off the lead with one round remaining.
He and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry are the clear betting favorite and most popular wager after three rounds. At +280 to win, Irish eyes, apparently along with many others, are watching.
TOP CONTENDERS for the 2024 ZURICH CLASSIC
There are eighteen teams within five shots of the Zurich Classic lead, held by former BYU teammates, Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair. At twenty-three under par, they hold a one-shot lead and have the second-best odds, +450. They have years of experience playing together, a one-shot lead, and are clearly still considered underdogs after posting the lowest third-round score of any team.
Luke List and Henrik Norlander are just a shot back at twenty-two under. With far more tour success and length to their credit, the duo is coming off a scorching ten-under performance in round three. They’re currently at +500 to win on FanDuel. The Canadian duo of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin are just three shots back at twenty-under-par. The Canucks teamed up for the first time last year and finished second with a field-low 63 in alternate shot in the final round.
More recently, since Taylor rose to victory at the WM Phoenix Open, Hadwin has recorded a pair of top-five finishes. They’re in excellent form. It’s not surprising they have the fourth-lowest odds at +900 to win.
BEST VALUE PICKS
Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard are tied with the Irish favorites, McIlroy and Lowry, just two shots back, yet their odds to win are +1,100, higher than Taylor and Hadwin, who are one shot behind them. Sitting five shots back at eighteen under, currently T12, are Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney. They are considered very long shots to win at +20,000.
Hoffman has played in the Zurich Classic 16 times since 2006 with three top-3 and seven top-25 finishes. And Watney won the 2007 Zurich Classic. He’s also played the event 16 times like his playing partner. He has three top-10 and eight top-25 finishes. Also, five back are a couple of PGA Tour winners, Peter Malnati and Russell Knox. Coming off a sizzling ten-under-par third round, they’re flying well under the radar with +12,000 to-win odds.
MY PICK TO WIN the 2024 ZURICH CLASSIC
Luke List and Henrik Norlander will be in the final group of the Zurich Classic with the BYU alums, Fishburn and Blair. They’re solo second and only one shot back. Last year, List and Norlander tied for twenty-third. They practice together regularly in Georgia, where they are neighbors in Augusta. Their current odds are +500 to win, third best behind their playing partners and the popular Irishmen.
List is a two-time winner on tour, having won each of the past two seasons. Norlander is on conditional status for the 2024 season, so a win this week would secure his PGA Tour card for 2025. With more wind in the forecast for Sunday, expect this team to have an advantage. List is one of the tour’s longest hitters, averaging over 310 yards off the tee. And Norlander is considered one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball. Both rank top 25 in their respective categories.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colton is a Hollywood screenwriter turned sports columnist. Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, he is a Michigan State University grad who spent fifteen years in Los Angeles after receiving a Bachelor’s in Journalism from MSU. An award-winning filmmaker with multiple projects still in development, Colton is currently co-authoring a biography, “The Boy from the Bronx,” with renowned businessman, Michael Weisser.
Eric is a recent and welcome addition to Total Apex Sports. He’s a highly knowledgeable and respected voice in the sports community, both in Michigan and nationally. Eric Colton resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters.
