2023 Zurich Classic Leaderboard and Scores: Lackluster performances by the reigning champions could have opened the door for another team to take over their reign. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele set new scoring records at last year’s Zurich Classic to claim victory and were widely expected to successfully defend their crown this time around by the golf betting experts. That expectation quickly faded Thursday at the 2023 Zurich Classic when world Nos. 4 and 5 found themselves 1 over through their opening six holes. Although they made every attempt to catch up, a first-round score of 67 put them six strokes behind the early leaderboard set by Brandon Matthews and Sean O’Hair as well as Beau Hossler and Wyndham Clark at 11 under.
Cantlay and Schauffele will find comfort in knowing their chosen format – foursomes – will be featured in Rounds 2 and 4. Additionally, unfavorable weather is anticipated at TPC Louisiana and could limit teams’ abilities to rack up a series of birdies and potentially change this leaderboard heading into the weekend.
Unfortunately, they’ve got several skilled teams standing between them and the top of the leaderboard. Sungjae Im and Keith Mitchell took off like rockets with an outstanding first round score of 62 – complete with a dropped shot in four-ball. Englishmen Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick share that mark, after an impressive display from both brothers. Two young gun partners Sahith Theegala and Justin Suh are one stroke below at 9 under.
Friday’s foursomes round will help the top 33 teams and ties advance into the second portion of the tournament and further narrow its field.
2023 Zurich Classic Leaderboard and Scores: Sean O’Hair/Brandon Matthews, Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler
At first glance, they may seem an unlikely pair, but their skill sets complement each other beautifully. Matthews is currently one of the longest players on tour while O’Hair has shown some promise recently with both irons and on greens. These two sparred with each other but generally managed to play solid golf. Matthews’ hole-out from the fairway on No. 12 was one of the highlights of the day, and if O’Hair can remain consistent off the tee in Round 2, more memorable shots may follow.
The Other Contenders
Keith Mitchell/Sungjae Im
Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick
David Lipsky/Aaron Rai
Henrik Norlander/Luke List
S.Y. Noh/Michael Kim
Doc Redman/Sam Ryder
Justin Suh/Sahith Theegala
Troy Merritt/Robert Streb
Joseph Bramlett/Brandon Wu
Martin Trainer/Chad Ramey
Justin Suh and Sahith Theegala may become one of many teams to claim their maiden victory on the PGA Tour at this year’s Zurich Classic, joining many others who have achieved that feat before them. Korn Ferry Tour of the Year Sahith Theegala had an opportunity at winning Honda Classic recently; and has enjoyed seven top-six finishes in 24 starts since. They possess enough firepower to compete successfully in four-ball, but it will ultimately come down to how well their duo plays together when it comes to foursomes.
Keith Mitchell had been petitioning Sungjae Im for this partnership opportunity and finally got it. At TPC Louisiana, they compiled nine birdies, an eagle and one bogey in a 10-under performance. Although they posted an impressive four-ball score, Keith Mitchell and Im may make for a more effective foursomes pairing given Mitchell’s driving prowess and Sungjae Im’s pinpoint approach shots.
The Fitzpatrick family worked as one to achieve success and when needed they relied on each other as needed. With each carding five birdies on the day, the Fitzpatrick brothers were able to vault to the top of the leaderboard at 10 under par. World No. 8 Victor Cruz recently enjoyed an outstanding run at the RBC Heritage, taking home his second victory on the PGA Tour. Fitzpatrick hopes that by reaching victory’s circle this week, not only will he secure his third victory but will also secure playing privileges for his younger sibling.
Zurich Classic 2023 latest Odds and Picks
Sungjae Im/Keith Mitchell: 5-1
Wyndham Clark/Beau Hossler: 6-1
Sahith Theegala/Justin Suh: 11-1
Sam Burns/Billy Horschel: 11-1
Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick: 12-1
Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele: 12-1
David Lipsky/Aaron Rai: 16-1
Collin Morikawa/Max Homa: 18-1
Even with their initial deficit, the reigning champions remain competitive as per the golf online trends. Cantlay and Schauffele remain undefeated in foursomes between the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup tournaments, having performed admirably with rounds between 68-72 last season. Cantlay entered this week ranked number one for strokes gained off of the tee, while Schauffele held onto his place at number one for strokes gained approach over the last three months. With their powerful combination, Americans should be able to steadily climb the leaderboard while others struggle.
