The PGA Tour will trade the coastal shores of Hilton Head Island in exchange for the warm, flat marshes of Louisiana ahead of the 2023 Zurich Classic. It’s a break from the standard stroke play format once again, but unlike Match Play, golfers will be teamed up to play better ball (Four-Ball) and alternate shot (Foursomes) while navigating a cut line after the first two rounds. Last year, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele set a course record at TPC Louisiana with a final scorecard of -29-under-par, which is why they are once again the outright betting favorites to defend their title in 2023.
DFS sites still designate salaries for individual players; however, they have a ‘PTR’ tag associated with their production since Better Ball and Alternate Shot require both players to work in tandem to get the lowest score possible. Players are individually priced but identical in terms of salary on DraftKings so that we can opt to roster a player from a different pairing without needing to pay more for Sahith Theegala compared to Justin Suh. Since FanDuel doesn’t have Zurich Classic contests available at this time, we will focus strictly on DraftKings ahead of this unique event.
I’ve scoured the Zurich Classic slate and identified a few of my favorite teams that can help us cash our DraftKings lineups at TPC Louisiana. Let’s find out why each team should be prioritized in DFS ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times from Avondale, Louisiana.
Before we get into our Zurich Classic DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Zurich Classic selections this week.
DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary
Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele ($11.1K)
It’s an expensive, chalky investment, but we have a duty to pay up for the defending champions at Zurich. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele have some of the best irons on the PGA Tour, so when they’re combined, it’s nearly unfair. Cantlay is among the best players with par 5 scoring average, and there are four par 5 holes at TPC Louisiana, which rewards strong drivers, precise irons, and of course, putting. After setting a course record at -29-under-par in 2022, plus with each of them coming off of a T4 finish at RBC Heritage, there’s plenty of momentum and confidence to go around for both players ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times. Cantlay has sunk 15-21 birdies in each of his previous five events, which is the most lucrative currency in DFS, while Schauffele isn’t far behind, averaging 70 - 107 DraftKings fantasy points since The Players Championship. Pay up to land this coveted blue-chip tandem.
Si Woo Kim/Tom Kim ($9.7K)
I like the value we’re landing with the Kim pairing at this event. Si Woo Kim had a disappointing turnout at RBC Heritage, missing the cut at +2, but he’s looked good before just his second missed cut of the season, logging two T30 finishes at The Masters and The Players Championship. His teammate and fellow South Korean native Tom Kim takes this pairing to the next level. The 20-year-old also failed to make the cut at Harbour Town last week despite going -1-under-par, but he yielded a T16 finish at Augusta National the week before in much more difficult conditions and a course with much faster putting surfaces. Kim is a wizard with his irons, ranking 16th in strokes gained tee-to-green, 16th in approaching the green, and 37th in strokes gained around the green. He’s a finesse player, and Si Woo Kim isn’t far behind, ranking 29th in total strokes gained, with an emphasis on tee-to-green play. If one of them can resolve their putting woes, expect the Kim team to be highly competitive and near the top of the leaderboard by Sunday evening, flooding DraftKings lineups with production.
Tom Hoge/Harris English ($8.8K)
When it comes to strokes gained tee-to-green, approaching the green, and total driving, Tom Hoge is among the best to do it. While he did wind up missing the cut at Zurich in 2022, his new teammate, Harris English, is equipped with a top-30 putter and nice touch around the greens to be an asset instead of a liability during the alternate shot round on Friday. Hoge is also a top-12 player in finding the green in regulation. In contrast, English is terrible, so he’ll balance out their weaknesses at converting greens in regulation, while English can lean on his putter to deliver birdies and red scorecards. If you’re a bit cautious about investing in this team in DFS, it helps to know that English is ranked 31st in scrambling while also ranking 31st in total putting, so he can save par and overcome errant lies and approach shots. English hasn’t competed at TPC Louisiana since 2019 when he missed the cut. A few years away may have done him some good, with his most recent notable finish occurring at Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he logged a T2 finish. We’re getting this team discounted for a reason, but I believe in their upside enough to label them a strong salary-saving pair to invest in ahead of Thursday’s opening-best ball round.
