Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 – Preview

The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans stands out as a distinctive PGA Tour team event. It is considered a crucial stop in the FedExCup season. The tournament is the only official PGA Tour competition that features a two-player team format instead of individual players.

The modern history of the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana started in 2005 when the tournament was moved to this location and Zurich Insurance became the title sponsor. The event started as a standard PGA Tour event, but organizers changed it into a team competition format in 2017. 

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has produced legendary moments in recent years. While fans are still buzzing about Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak’s clinical victory in 2025, the tournament has been on a roll with historic finishes. This follows the 2024 edition, where Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry delighted the crowds by winning the title, and the unforgettable 2023 surprise when longtime friends Nick Hardy and Davis Riley shot a record-breaking 30-under-par. This marks the first time in Tour history that both partners secured their maiden PGA Tour titles in the same event.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Location

The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans will take place at TPC Louisiana, Avondale, located about 30 to 40 minutes away from New Orleans. This par-72 course is built within the wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta. The course is surrounded by natural water hazards, lakes, cypress and oak trees, and narrow fairways. 

The front nine layout is relatively easy and manageable. The most challenging section of the course exists between holes 5 and 14, with narrow fairways and water hazards. 15 and 18 are the closing holes of the event. Among these, holes 17 and 18 are the most important. 

Weather conditions, especially wind, play a big role in how the course is played. Wear windproof golf jackets, stretchable golf trousers, and breathable polos. Don’t forget a lightweight golf bucket hat and spikes or spikeless grip sole golf shoes.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Schedule

The official tournament will take place from April 23, 2026 to April 26, 2026. Here are the details of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 dates:

1. Monday, April 20th, 2026 (Pro-Am)

• Time: 10 am – 12 pm 

• PGA Tour pros will play alongside amateur golfers.

• Experience VIP golfing (inside-the-ropes access) and enjoy corporate sponsor rounds.

2. Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 (Practice & Celebrity Day)

• Official practice rounds 

• Players will be fine-tuning their course strategy.

• The Manning Family Children’s Hospital Celebrity Shootout will take place at 3 pm.

• Expect to see NFL players, especially from the New Orleans Saints.

3. Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 (Pro-Am Day)

• Wednesday Pro-Am takes place in the morning from 7 am to 9 am and then again in the afternoon from 12 pm to 2 pm.

• Each group includes two PGA Tour pros. This is one of the most unique Pro-Am formats on Tour.

• Fans can experience food stalls and New Orleans-style cuisine.

4. Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 (Round 1)

• The official first round starts at 7 am (approximately).

• Watch the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Golf Leaderboard and the top PGA Tour teams live on the Golf Channel.

5. Friday, April 24th, 2026 (Round 2) 

• The second round starts at 8 am (approximately).

• The cut is applied, so only the top teams will make it through to the weekend rounds

• Golf Channel will be showing all the action live.

6. Saturday, April 25th 2026 (Moving Day)

• The third round starts at 8 am (approximately) and golfers try to move up the leaderboard.

• Watch live action on CBS + Golf Channel.

• After the rounds, enjoy live music.

• The New Orleans-style festival vibe will be back in full force.

7. Sunday, April 26th 2026 (Final Round)

• The last round starts at 9 am (approximately).

• Watch live action on CBS + Golf Channel.

• The trophy will be awarded to the winner and live music will round off the tournament.

Source: 2026 Tournament Schedule of Events, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, PGA Tour Tournament Schedule

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Tickets 

Get your tournament tickets according to these categories:

Source: Ticketmaster 2026 Zurich Classic Tickets: April 22-26, Tickets, 2026 Tournament Schedule of Events

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Format Guide

The event consists of four rounds (Thursday to Sunday) and 80 teams (160 players). The tournament requires each team to send out two pros who will compete together for the entire event. 

Round 1 and 3

The team uses the Fourball format during Round 1 on Thursday and Round 3 on Saturday. This format requires both players to play their own ball on each hole, and the team’s best score counts. If one golfer makes a birdie and the other makes par, the team’s score for that hole is birdie. 

Round 2 and 4 

The team uses the Foursomes (Alternate Shot) format on Friday (Round 2) and Sunday (Final Round). This format requires both players to share one ball while taking turns to make their shots, starting with the tee shot and continuing alternately until they finish the hole. 

The cut rule is also important: after Friday (Round 2), only the top 33 teams plus ties advance to the weekend rounds (Saturday and Sunday), while the remaining teams are eliminated.

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans Golf Tournament uses standard golf scoring rules because the team with the lowest total wins. If there is a tie at the end of the final round, a sudden-death playoff is played until a winner is decided.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Prize

The total prize purse is approximately $9.5 million, distributed among 160 players. The winning team receives around $2.7 million in total, which comes out to approximately $1.35–$1.37 million per player. 

The runner-up team receives the combined share of 3rd and 4th place, and this pattern continues to the end of the leaderboard. The winners of the tournament receive 400 FedExCup points, a two-year PGA Tour exemption, and entry to the major tournaments, including the PGA Championship.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Top Confirmed Teams

• Wyndham Clark / Taylor Moore

• Matt Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick

• Brooks Koepka / Shane Lowry

• Tony Finau / Max Greyserman

• Billy Horschel / Tom Hoge

• Aaron Rai / Sahith Theegala

• Davis Riley / Nick Hardy

• Ben Griffin / Andrew Novak

• Cam Davis / Geoff Ogilvy

• Tom Kim / Kevin Yu

• Chris Kirk / Patton Kizzire

• Matt Kuchar / Garrick Higgo

• Erik van Rooyen / Christiaan Bezuidenhout

• Taylor Pendrith / Mackenzie Hughes

• Stephan Jaeger / Jackson Suber

• Keith Mitchell / Brandt Snedeker

• Mark Hubbard / Ryan Brehm

• Chad Ramey / Justin Lower

• Vince Whaley / Greyson Sigg

• Eric Cole / Hank Lebioda

• Alex Smalley / Hayden Springer

• Sam Stevens / Zach Bauchou

• Kevin Roy / Max McGreevy

• Seamus Power/Matti Schmid

• Matt McCarty / Mac Meissner

• Rico Hoey / David Lipsky

• Matt Wallace / Marco Penge

• Haotong Li / Jordan Smith

• Keita Nakajima / Kensei Hirata

• Adam Svensson / Adam Hadwin

• Camilo Villegas / Marcelo Rozo

• Beau Hossler / Sam Ryder

• Patrick Fishburn / Zac Blair

• Kevin Streelman / Joel Dahmen

• Lanto Griffin / Ben Kohles

• Charley Hoffman / Nick Watney

• Troy Merritt / Robert Streb

• James Hahn / Kyle Stanley

• Austin Cook / Jason Dufner

• Jonathan Byrd / Chez Reavie

• David Skinns / Trey Mullinax

• Harry Higgs / Jeremy Paul

• Henrik Norlander / Luke List

• Taylor Montgomery / Scott Piercy

• Ben Silverman / Cameron Champ

• Paul Peterson / Will Gordon

• Chan Kim / Ryan Palmer

• Frankie Capan III / Noah Goodwin

• Neal Shipley / Christo Lamprecht

• Adrien Dumont de Chassart / Davis Chatfield

• Jeffrey Kang / Doug Ghim

• Zecheng Dou / Dylan Wu

• Pontus Nyholm / Jesper Svensson

Special / Sponsor Exemptions

• Blades Brown / Luke Clanton (amateur/pro mix exemption)

• Jacob Skov Olesen / Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

• Casey Jarvis / A.J. Ewart

• Marco Penge / Matt Wallace

• Kristoffer Reitan / Kris Ventura

• John Parry / Dan Brown

Sources: Inside the Field: Teams for Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Team List, Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Full field