Anyone thinking golf is an individual sport will be wrong this week.
Team golf returns to the PGA Tour for this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The event adopted the team format last year in an attempt to freshen up the field and get more big names involved.
The format calls for best-ball play Thursday and Saturday, alternate-shot Friday and Sunday. The field receives FedEx Cup points but not world ranking points.
A number of top stars are in the field this week, including Masters winner Patrick Reed, making his first start since Augusta National, and Brooks Koepka returning from a wrist injury that has kept him out of action since January.
Course
TPC Louisiana is a 7,425-yard par 72 created by Pete Dye to challenge golfers with a number of tree-lined holes amid wetlands. Featuring a number of large bunkers and waste areas, the course has become more difficult after recent renovations.
Defending Champions
Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt needed an extra day to defeat Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown in a playoff, giving Kisner an 0-4 playoff record on the PGA Tour. The win was a breakthrough for Smith, a talented Australian who has contended in major championships.
Smith and Brown have teamed back up together this year, hoping to rekindle the magic they found last year. Blixt has struggled for form since the win, but Smith has skyrocketed up the world ranking.
Most Intriguing Teams
Henrik Stenson/Justin Rose — The Ryder Cup staple return to claim another notch on their belt in team play. Rose has cooled off since a torrid fall that helped him rise inside the top 5 in the world ranking. Stenson has been steady all year and contended at the Masters.
Jordan Spieth/Ryan Palmer — The two Texas natives have similar games, with Palmer a little more aggressive out of the two. Spieth's putting has rebounded after a tough start to 2018, and his iron play looked sharp at Augusta National. Plamer has been quiet this season, but he often does most of his damage midseason.
Tommy Fleetwood/Chris Paisley — The two Englishmen have been in scintillating form in Europe this season. Fleetwood, last year's European Tour Player of the Year, contended at Augusta, while Paisley has a win and two other top-5 finishes on the European Tour this year.
Bubba Watson/Matt Kuchar — Power and poise: that's what this pairing brings. Watson's intensity and power off the tee should be a nice blend with Kuchar's clam, cautious nature. Kuchar was paired with Dustin Johnson during the last Ryder Cup, so he knows handle to play alongside the longer hitters.
Sergio Garcia/Rafa Cabrera Bello — The Spanish duo played well together in 2016 at the Ryder Cup. Neither have been in top form over the last month-plus, but Cabrera Bello has a number of top-25 finishes this season. Garcia crashed and burned at the Masters, but expect him to pick up top form soon.
Other Intriguing Teams
Justin Thomas/Bud Cauley
J.B. Holmes/Brandt Snedeker
Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel
Brooks Koepka/Marc Turnesa
Ian Poulter/Graeme McDowell
Zurich Classic TV, streaming info
Dates: April 26-29
Location: Avondale, La.
TV:
Thursday: 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel
Friday: 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel
Saturday: 1-2:30 p.m., Golf Channel; 3-6 p.m., CBS
Sunday: 1-2:30 p.m., Golf Channel; 3-6 p.m., CBS
Streaming: fuboTV (sign up for 7-day free trial)