New Orleans draws stars with spiced-up format
Despite all that jazz, the cultural and culinary temptations seemingly on every block and an eclectic, Southern vibe pulsating throughout the area, the PGA Tour’s annual stop in New Orleans has had a hard time drawing the game’s biggest names.
Stars simply were not flocking to TPC Louisiana.
Tournament directors, however, added some spice last year. Breaking up the monotonous nature of the Tour schedule — 72 holes of stroke play week after week — the Zurich Classic of New Orleans went to a two-man team format, the first official team event on Tour since the 1981 Walt Disney World National Team Championship.
It was a hit from Thursday’s first tee shot through Monday’s playoff win by Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt. And through word of mouth, the second playing of the Zurich Classic has drawn
10 of the world’s top 15 players, including Masters champion Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Jason Day. For the first time since the 2017 Tour Championship, all four current major winners are in the field — reigning Masters champion Reed, 2017 PGA winner Thomas, 2017 British Open champion Spieth and 2017 U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka, who is returning from a wrist injury that has knocked him out of play since January.
“We had a blast” last year, said Spieth, who teamed with fellow Texan Ryan Palmer in 2017 to finish fourth. “This event for guys is a really nice kind of breath of fresh air.”
Chances are good he and the other
159 players in the field will say the same thing after this year’s event as more changes are afoot.
The format has flipped as fourballs will be used in rounds one and three and alternate shot will be used in rounds two and four, with hopes of creating more volatility in the final round.
And for the first time at a Tour event, players will pick their own walk-up music for each group to be played on the first hole on the weekend. Among the selections are Thunderstruck by AC/DC,
California Love by Tupac, Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, Enter Sandman by
Metallica and Big Poppa by Notorious
BIG.
“Everyone will be in a good mood,” Garcia said. “No one is going to complain about the pairings this week. I mean, all in all, it’s just a great event.”
Spieth added that far fewer players will be hanging out in their hotel rooms this week, especially with the Jazz Fest in town and restaurants such as Arnaud’s, Commander’s Palace, Charlie’s Steakhouse, and Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar beckoning the taste buds.
“Everyone is kind of hanging out with each other, which is definitely a little different,” Spieth said. “I think Zurich has done a great job. And it just gets bigger and bigger every year.”
But this is far from a hit-and-giggle gathering.
Although no official world rankings points are awarded, FedExCup points can be gathered and the money won counts. Also, both winners receive a two-year exemption on the Tour and win spots into invitational events such as the Tournament of Champions and Players Championship.
And it still is competition. Just in a more relaxed atmosphere.
“Same amount of practice, same amount of work,” Spieth said.
Last year, Thomas and Bud Cauley tied for fifth. The two are paired again.
“You hope to get in contention and have a chance to win, but when you’re playing by yourself and you’re playing well and you’re around the lead, it drains you,” Thomas said. “It mentally completely drains you. It wears on you. It’s long days.”
“It’s the same length of day, but this is more laid back, more fun. At least we thought that way last year. We played well. We had opportunities to poke fun at each other when we could, when the mood and the time was right. It’s kind of a nice way to ease into a three-week stretch when the season is about to turn up a good bit.”