GOLF THIS WEEK
PGA TOUR ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS
■ Site: Avondale, Louisiana.
■ Course: TPC Louisiana. Yardage: 7,425. Par: 72.
■ Prize money: $7.4 million. Winner’s share: TBA.
■ Television: Thursday Friday, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
(Golf Channel); Saturday Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
■ Defending champions: Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer (2019).
■ FedEx Cup leader: Bryson DeChambeau.
■ Last week: Stewart Cink won the RBC Heritage.
■ Notes: This is the only official team event of the year. The earnings and
FedEx Cup points are split by the teams, though no world ranking points are awarded . ... The tournament was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic . ... The field features 12 of the top 30 in the world ranking, led by Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay from the top 10. Schauffele and Cantlay formed one of the top U.S. teams at the Presidents Cup in 2019 . ... Viktor Hovland is teammates with Kris Ventura, with whom he lived and played at Oklahoma State.
■ Next week: Valspar Championship.
LPGA TOUR HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA OPEN
■ Site: Los Angeles.
■ Course: Wilshire CC. Yardage: 6,450. Par: 71.
■ Prize money: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $225,000.
■ Television: Thursday Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).
■ Defending champion: Minjee Lee (2019).
■ Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.
■ Last week: Lydia Ko won the Lotte Championship.
■ Notes: Patty Tavatanakit is playing for the first time since winning the ANA Inspiration for her first major and first LPGA Tour victory . ... The field features eight of the top 10 players from the women’s world ranking, starting with Jin Young Ko and Inbee Park at Nos. 1 and 2 . ... Park, a runner-up last week in Hawaii, is closing in on a chance to return to No. 1 in the world for the first time since July 2018 . ... Lydia Ko is in the field after her sevenshot victory last week in the Lotte Championship . ... Dating to her final round of 62 in the ANA Inspiration, Ko is 38-under par in her last 90 holes on the LPGA Tour.
■ Next week: HSBC Women’s World Championship.
EUROPEAN TOUR GRAN CANARIA LOPESAN OPEN
■ Site: Gran Canaria, Spain.
■ Course: Meloneras Golf. Yardage: TBA. Par: TBA.
■ Prize money: 1.5 million euros (U.S. $1.8 million). Winner’s share: 250,000 euros.
■ Television: ThursdayF riday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel).
■ Defending champion:
New event.
■ Race to Dubai leader: Billy Horschel.
■ Last week: John Catlin won the Austria Golf Open.
■ Notes: The field includes Rafa Cabrera Bello, who is serving as tournament host for the new event. Cabrera Bello was born in Las Palmer de Gran Canaria . ... John Catlin has three European Tour victories in the last eight months and has moved to No. 79 in the world. He would appear certain to receive an invitation to the PGA Championship next month, which would be the Californian’s first major.
■ Next week: Tenerife Open.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
■ Last week: Steve Stricker won the Chubb Classic.
■ Next week: Insperity Invitational.
■ Charles Schwab Cup leader: Kevin Sutherland.