2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Odds + Info, Times, TV Coverage
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans takes center stage on the PGA Tour at the end of April at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana. The 2013 edition of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans tees off with first round action on Thursday, April 25th and concludes on Sunday, April 28th.
Coverage of the event will be done by The Golf Channel and CBS Sports. Thursday and Friday rounds will be shown exclusively on The Golf Channel while CBS will join in with it's broadcast for the conclusion of the weekend rounds. Coverage begins at 3pm ET on Thursday and Friday while Saturday and Sunday rounds begin on The Golf Channel at 1pm ET and will be picked up through the conclusion of play by CBS Sports at 2:30pm ET.
The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been around since 1938, and has been played at a variety of golf courses in the process. TPC has been the home of the tournament for several of the most recent tournaments, but had to shut down for some time to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. During it's time away from TPC, the venue moved to English Turn G&C in 2006 but was back at it's TPC Louisiana home in 2007... where it has been since.
The Par-72 layout has a distance of 7,341 yards for the tournament. The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has a rich history, with a large turnout in the community. The field consists of roughly 144 players, give or take a few depending on withdrawals and things of that nature. The FedEx Cup points for the winner and top finishers are also up for grabs, along with the $6.6 million total purse.
What Happened In 2012?
Jason Dufner had the title of the best player in the world without a PGA Tour title to his credit. Simply put, the guy had played too well for too long to not have a win under his belt. Coming to the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Dufner had enjoyed success in 2012, though not at the top of the leaderboard on Sundays. He even led the Masters for some time but that all changed last year in this tournament. Dufner defeated Ernie Els to get into the winner's circle for the first time in his career. Little did he know, this win would propel him to an even greater 2012; a season which saw him end up with multiple victories.
2013 Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
The PGA Tour moves from Hilton Head down to the Big Easy in New Orleans, for the playing of the Zurich Classic. Last year, it was Jason Dufner who finally broke through with his first-career PGA Tour victory after some very close calls throughout his years on the circuit. Dufner will be in the field ready to defend his title.
Also in the field for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, 2012 runner-up Ernie Els, K.J. Choi, Nick Watney and more.
2013 Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Vegas Odds
Dufner might be the defending champion, but he is not the favorite to win this week. That title goes to Rose. The No.4 ranked player in the world is set at 12 to 1 to win the Zurich Classic. Rose has never won the Zurich Classic. In fact, American players have won seven of the last eight tournaments here, dating back to 2005. PGA betting lines are giving the edge to Rose though for the week.
But it's not as if Rose is a runaway favorite by any stretch. In fact, there are three players right behind him that all come in with equal 16 to 1 odds.
This is where we find Dufner, along with Bradley and Watson. Dufner hasn't enjoyed the success in the 2013 as he did in 2012 so far, but coming back to a place he has won before will certainly give him good feelings for the week.
As for Bradley, it was a forgettable 2013 Masters that he will try to put behind him. After a good showing in Houston a couple of weeks before Augusta, Bradley was a trendy pick to win the green jacket. But a T-54 finish at the Masters is something he wants to be past.
A T-50 performance at Augusta is not how Watson envisioned the defense of his green jack win in 2012 going. But Watson simply hasn't played well this year outside of a good start. He has just one top-10 in a stroke play tournament in 2013. But the good news is that he isn't missing cuts either, making six of seven so far. Even better news is that Watson has won this tournament before, back in 2011.
Fowler didn't have a great Masters either, but he has certainly played well at times this season. A T-3 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational built some confidence. He's got three top-10s this year, and just one missed cut in eight tournaments.
Our Picks
The Winner - Ernie Els has a habit of surprising people with how well he is playing even at the latter stage in his career. He was very close to coming away with the victory last year and we think that he will get into the winner's circle in 2013. Those who choose to wager on Els to win would be making a very solid profit margin as well. Els is paying out at 40 to 1 to win.
Dark Horse Value Bet - Chris Kirk has made eight of nine cuts this year, including five top-25 finishes and two top-10s. He has also finished runner up, back at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to Brandt Snedeker. He finished T-30 last week at the RBC Heritage but seems to get into contention a lot. At 50 to 1, it's a good bet to take for a large profit this week.
Notable Pairings
The Zurich Classic has done a nice job this week putting some good pairings together for the first couple of rounds on Thursday and Friday. Among them is the defending champion Jason Dufner with 2011 champion Bubba Watson and Nick Watney. This group will go off at 8:30am ET on Thursday, and then at 12:30pm ET on Friday.
Also paired together is the tournament favorite Justin Rose (12 to 1), with Keegan Bradley and Billy Horschel. Bradley is also among the favorites to win this week, tied alongside Dufner and Watson at 16 to 1 behind Rose. This threesome will tee at 12:40pm ET on Thursday, and then at 8:40am ET on Friday.
Also of note in the field is 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, who made history as the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters. What's more, is that not only did he make the cut, he finished as the low Amateur in the field. He will tee at 1:40pm ET on Thursday with Justin Bolli and Henrik Norlander and then at 8:40am ET on Friday.