The story behind some of the Zurich Classic’s most intriguing teams

Team golf returns for its annual week in the PGA TOUR spotlight at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Four of the top 10 players and eight of the top 20 in the world are in Louisiana for a tournament that always sparks entertaining golf and reveals a unique dynamic as players get the rare opportunity to pair together.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot a record-setting 59 in the Four-ball first round last year before Jason Day and Jason Scrivener shot a 65 in Foursomes the next day, tying the best Foursomes round in tournament history.

The setup is the same this year: each two-man team will start by playing Four-ball (best ball) on Thursday with Foursomes (alternate shot) for Friday’s second round. After the cut is made – only 33 teams and ties find the weekend – they will play Four-ball on Saturday and finish with Foursomes on Sunday.

The field is full of intriguing pairings – some old and new. There are childhood best friends, brothers, college teammates and top-15 combos littered across the event. Here’s 10 pairings to keep an eye on.

1. Xander Schauffele-Patrick Cantlay: They first crossed paths in college, when Cantlay was the No. 1 amateur in the world and Schauffele was a promising freshman whose college coach wanted to throw in the deep end.

“I was a freshman at Long Beach (State) and my coach at the time ... wanted me to play with the top player in the world to kind of compare,” recalled Schauffele, who played his freshman season at LBSU before transferring to San Diego State. “Pat shot a swift little 65 there and I think I shot 78. So I've come a long way here. Pat and I joke about that now.”

When asked what he learned from the experience, Schauffele said simply, “He was way better than me and I needed to get better at golf.”

Schauffele has closed the gap, sitting just one spot behind Cantlay in the world ranking (Cantlay is fourth). They’re not only the defending champions this week but have become a formidable twosome in Presidents and Ryder Cup play, combining to go 6-3-0 as teammates.

They were integral in the United States’ Presidents Cup victory at Quail Hollow last September. Schauffele and Cantlay were 2-1-0 as partners, dispatching Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, 6 and 5, in the first match of the tournament, then beating Matsuyma and Tom Kim, 3 and 2, the next day in Four-ball.

This is their third appearance together at Zurich and the duo have paired together seven times in the Presidents Cup, second-most in the tournament’s history behind Fred Couples and Davis Love III (8 times).

That chemistry, combined with recent form (11 top-10s between them this season), makes for a dangerous combo at TPC Louisiana.

2. Collin Morikawa-Max Homa: Morikawa was still in college when Homa started singing his praises. As a fellow Cal-Berkeley alum, Homa had an early look at the incredible ballstriking that has led to Morikawa’s two major wins.

“His ball striking is so good. He’s basically a robot,” Homa said in 2019, two days before earning his first PGA TOUR title. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him hit a bad shot.”

Now the two Bears and Southern California natives are a team to beat at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, dubbing themselves as Team Homakawa in the custom Dodgers jerseys they wore for the social post announcing their participation in the Zurich.

They are a new pairing at the Zurich Classic that offers plenty of intrigue and an interesting contrast of careers. Homa lost his card twice before notching his first PGA TOUR win at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. The win came nearly six years after his first TOUR start. He’s since rattled off five more wins, including two this season (Fortinet Championship and Farmers Insurance Open). It took Morikawa just eight appearances to grab his first win at the 2019 Barracuda Championship to quickly lock up his TOUR card. He nabbed his first major, the 2020 PGA Championship, little more than a year later.

It was Homa, though, that bested Morikawa earlier this season at the Farmers Insurance Open, where they played in Sunday’s second-to-last group. Tied at 7-under, Homa fired a 6-under 66 to win the tournament and beat Morikawa by three.

“He’s one of the most spectacular golfers I’ve ever seen,” Homa said of Morikawa after the round. “I’ve always wanted to test myself against someone like him that I look up to even though he’s significantly younger than me.”

Now they’ll be able to test their skills together.

3. Tom Kim-Si Woo Kim: The last time these two paired together, they produced one of the most memorable moments of last year’s Presidents Cup. The Kims were even with the U.S. power pairing of Schauffele and Cantlay (see above) heading to the 18th hole. Tom hit his 220-yard approach with a 2-iron to 10 feet. He slammed his hat down in celebration when his birdie putt dropped for 1-up win.

“I can remember every single moment of me walking up to that green and looking at that putt, seeing my whole team there," Kim said. "I was just looking down and thinking to myself that 'Man, I want this putt to go in more than anything in the world, because I'm just not playing for myself, I'm playing for everyone on (the International) team.'"

Now they’re back together for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This is not only a team of countrymen, but a pair who has a knack for knocking off accomplishments at a young age. Tom Kim, 20, is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on TOUR before turning 21. Both Tom and Si Woo earned their first victories at the Wyndham Championship. Tom famously did so after starting the tournament with a quad. He quickly added the Shriners Children’s Open to his resume. Si Woo Kim, who first earned his PGA TOUR card at age 17, won his first PGA TOUR title at the age of 21. He then became the youngest winner in the history of THE PLAYERS when he won at TPC Sawgrass in 2017. Si Woo picked up his fourth career PGA TOUR title at this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii.

4. Matt Fitzpatrick-Alex Fitzpatrick: They may be brothers, but that doesn’t mean they are similar. Matt has described his younger brother as “disorganized, messy and his diet is terrible.” Matt, meanwhile, is one of the most meticulous players on TOUR, famous for keeping detailed notes on every shot he hits. No team will come in with more momentum after Matt’s win Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

It was a family affair for the Fitzpatricks at Hilton Head Island, with Matt’s parents and girlfriend on hand for the victory. That will only continue this week. Matt floated the idea earlier this year to his younger brother, who was quick to accept the invite. Despite what you might think, the brothers hardly get to play together with Matt’s busy TOUR schedule and Alex pursuing status on the DP World Tour. Will that bring out the best in each other? That remains to be seen.

“I have no idea,” Alex told the Challenge Tour in March. “It’s either going to be a lot of arguing or a lot of laughs. … Hopefully a little bit of both, keep it mutual.”

5. Billy Horschel-Sam Burns: Another pairing with ample success at this tournament. The SEC alums finished runner-up to Schauffele and Cantlay last year and finished T4 as a team in 2021. It’s a pairing that has thrived despite its different demeanors. Horschel the fiery, animated and outspoken competitor to Burns’ understated, low-key demeanor.

You can’t argue with the results. Along with the top finishes together, Horschel has won the event twice (in 2013 as an individual and 2018 with Scott Piercy). The event comes at the right time for Horschel, who has fallen outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings. Recent performance suggests a surge could be coming, though.

Horschel finished T9 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which his partner Burns won. They both made the cut at the Masters and they’ll also be able to draw off experience as partners and teammates at the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.

Horschel snatched up Burns early, before Burns had become a five-time TOUR winner. They first teamed in 2021, a week before Burns earned his first career victory at the Valspar Championship.

“I know what kind of partner I need for the holes that are going to be hitting shots on, and Sam fit that profile to a T, and there's certain things in his game that he does really well,” Horschel said before their debut. “He's a really good putter. He drives it a long way. … The Ryan Palmer method is a really good method of getting some younger guys going forward. So with Sam being 24, I believe, I've got a young partner for a long time now, as long as he doesn't kick me to the curb.”

6. Taylor Montgomery-Kurt Kitayama: A first-time TOUR winner and a rookie on the precipice of one of his own, Kitayama and Montgomery present a formidable team with loads of recent form to justify a win together is possible. They were teammates at UNLV and both took winding roads to the PGA TOUR.

Montgomery had to overcome struggles with keeping the ball in play during his amateur days, sometimes playing entire tournaments hitting no more than 2-iron off the tee. He famously finished 26th not once, but twice, on separate Korn Ferry Tour Points lists in the same season, missing his TOUR card by one spot each time. Kitayama, who was dubbed “The Project” in college because of the amount of work he needed. He traveled the world, playing the DP World Tour and winning in Oman and Mauritius before finding his way to the TOUR.

Kitayama, currently No. 5 in the FedExCup, took down a stacked field in his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in March. A run to the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play only reinforced his top form. Meanwhile, Montgomery was the darling of the fall and has continued to notch steady results. Once as high as third in the FedExCup, Montgomery has made 14 of 17 cuts and finished inside the top-25 10 times this season. Can the two UNLV alums run the table and add to their season hot streak?

7. Sahith Theegala-Justin Suh: The California duo is comprised of two rising stars. Theegala ended his first full season on the PGA TOUR by qualifying for last year’s TOUR Championship, while Suh is the reigning Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year. They played together on the 2018 Palmer Cup and have combined to make 29 consecutive cuts with seven top-10 finishes among them. Both have made the most of their recent starts in high-profile events, Theegala with a T5 finish at RBC Heritage and T9 at the Masters and Suh a T6 at THE PLAYERS Championship. Can that translate to a top finish as a team? They have much to play for, each seeking his first TOUR win. A strong finish would likely push Theegala into the top 10 of the FedExCup (currently 11th), while Suh sits just outside the top 70 and eyes a spot in the Playoffs.

8. Zach Johnson-Steve Stricker/Luke Donald-Edoardo Molinari: Some early Ryder Cup storylines as the captains of both teams – Johnson and Donald – are in the field with one of their assistant captains. As much as the week will be about playing well together, expect both pairings to use the week as a scouting opportunity for their Ryder Cup rosters in Rome. Morikawa, Homa and Burns are among the names that would automatically qualify for Team USA based on current standings, with both Schauffele and Cantlay likely captains’ picks. Many others are fighting to be in the conversation: Horschel, Hoge, Theegala, Kitayama, English and Montgomery among the notables. For Team Europe, Victor Perez is positioned to automatically qualify, Fitzpatrick is a shoo-in and Thomas Detry figures to be on the shortlist for another captains’ selection.  The all-Danish Zurich team of Thorbjorn Olesen and Nicolai Hojgaard will be looking to impress the captains, as well.

9. John Daly-David Duval: Eighteen PGA TOUR wins and three major championships between them, Daly and Duval represent one of the most decorated pairings in the field – and certainly one of the most entertaining. Mainstays on PGA TOUR Champions nowadays, Daly, 56, and Duval, 51, will tee it up in the same PGA TOUR event for the first time since the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

10. Sam Saunders-Eric Cole: The story off this pairing and friendship goes back 20 years. Saunders and Cole first met as teenagers during a match at Bay Hill. Born then was friendship that has carried all the way to the TOUR. Cole even caddied for Saunders when Saunders got an early invitation to his grandfather’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Both were club champions at Bay Hill, as well. “He’s like a brother to me,” Saunders said of Cole. Saunders was the first to make it to the PGA TOUR, playing from 2015-19 with one runner-up among 11 top-10 finishes. Meanwhile, Cole was grinding on the mini-tours, racking up more than 50 wins on the Minor League Tour. Now the roles have been reversed. Cole, 34, is in the midst of his first TOUR season and is 54th in the FedExCup after his Honda Classic runner-up. Saunders has had success on the Korn Ferry Tour this season as he continues to climb back from an injury. He’s 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List after a playoff loss earlier this year in Panama.