Sleeper Picks: Zurich Classic of New Orleans
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 10: Graeme McDowell and Seamus Power of Ireland look toward fans holding an Irish flag at the 17th green during the first round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 10, 2022 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Graeme McDowell & Seamus Power(+4000) … A year ago, Power was slotted No. 10 in my Power Rankings with David Hearn. The duo finished T10 in 2018 and T5 in 2019. However, the Irishman tested positive for COVID-19 and withdrew before the tournament. Since, he’s gone on to connect for victory at the Barbasol Championship, climb into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking and play in the Masters, all career-firsts as he’s turned 35 in March. G-Mac also isn’t a stranger to TPC Louisiana, nor does he mind playing the field for partners among fellow Europeans. The native of Northern Ireland finished T22 with Ian Poulter in 2018, T18 with Henrik Stenson in 2019 and T23 with Matt Wallace in 2021, all of whom are in this week’s field. Since Bay Hill, McDowell is 3-for-6 with a pair of top 25s.
Brian Stuard & Russell Knox(+6600) … Beneath the sparkle of the notable teams at TPC Louisiana is a layer of sturdy threats. That’s where these two exist. Stuard’s only PGA TOUR victory (among 175 paydays in 305 starts) occurred on this course in 2016. He was the last individual to prevail before the format evolved into the current. Stuard and Knox first joined forced for a T22 in 2019. They missed the cut last year when the Scot was scuffling. However, since the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February, they are a combined 15-for-18 with three top 10s among five top 25s. Stuard sits second on the PGA TOUR in fairways hit; Knox is second in GIR. Knox is T12 in proximity to the hole, and Stuard is T12 in par-3 scoring.
Aaron Rai & David Lipsky(+8000) … Of the 25 PGA TOUR rookies in the field, 14 have partnered with another to form seven all-rookie collaborations. These two are among them. Quietly, they might be the most compelling as neither is a stranger to success abroad even though each happens to still qualify as a rookie. Each has two wins on the DP WORLD Tour among their collection of global gets. So, it matters not that each is a debutant at TPC Louisiana. They’re also one of just the two partnerships among rookies in which both are inside the top 125 of the FedExCup. Rai is 98th; Lipsky is 119th. The strong suit for both is ball-striking.
Odds were sourced on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM.