2009 Zurich Classic Tips | Zurich Classic Predictions

Steve Bamford’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans Tips

Our Marking Your Card feature this week provides some superb insight into the annual trip to New Orleans. This tournament is where the rulebook is torn up and the lesser lights of the tour have their 4 days in the spotlight. Make sure you also use the Marking Your Card Predictor, which was the basis for my selections this week.

My tips are below:

Ken Duke 1pt EW @ 70-1 B365 ‘The Duke’ has never won a PGA Tour event and this is his 4th season on Tour. With a 2nd and 12th in his 3 visits to TPC Louisiana he feels very much at home and in the Marking Your Card Predictor features highly when you look purely at Zurich Classic past performance. His form of late at The Masters and Verizon Heritage was solid and improving.

John Mallinger 1pt EW @ 80-1 General The Californian from Long Beach has never won on the PGA Tour. The 3rd season tour player is a wind positive performer, which is ideal for New Orleans, where the wind likes to blow. Not as successful as his best friend John Merrick, Mallinger has posted 5 Top 3 results including here in 2007.

Jason Day 1pt EW @ 80-1 General Superbly talented, the Aussie who resides in Orlando Florida is one of the brightest talents on the PGA Tour. A positive wind player, who almost took his first victory at the Puerto Rico open in March. Missed the cut in 2008, but has seen the course and is playing more consistently in 2009. The Marking Your Card Predictor shows he has the game to play well this week.

Nicholas Thompson 0.75pt EW @ 90-1 General The 3rd season PGA Tour youngster again is a non winner. Has a superb long game and is starting to show flashes of form after a dismal start to 2009. A 4th place here last year shows how Thompson suits this golf course, where risk can be often rewarded.

Scott Piercy 0.75 pts EW @ 125-1 Skybet In my opinion Piercy is the best tour rookie so far of 2009. The two time winner on last year’s Challenger Tour, Piercy has a power game that will be rewarded around TPC Louisiana. Very self confident and self motivated, the Las Vegas resident likes to gamble with his game. I would not be surprised at all to see him contend this week.

Joe Durant 1pt T10 @ 20-1 Bet 365 Lives just over the border in North West Florida, where Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum are close neighbours. No stranger to TPC Louisiana and plays the course well as his record shows. After a slow start to 2009, Durant is starting to generate momentum form wise. 3 T10s in this and the pattern suggests he is due another one in 2009.

PW's tips:

A very interesting tournament to try and unravel. I've shortlisted and rejected a number of players....Austin (genrally good on Pete Dye courses, suspect under pressure); Senden (recent improvement in putting wasn't apparent last week); Nic Thompson (length, last year, form suits....just doesn't seem to compete on a Sunday). I keep coming back to one massive outsider and another who fits the bill in terms of a first-time winner:

Chris Couch 1.25pts EW 300-1 General; 2.5 Pts Top 10 30-1 Bet 365. This had better be good I hear you shout! Won this tournament in '06 when it was played at English Turn because of the damage caused by hurricane Katrina. As such, his course form is invalid, however perhaps there's something to prove this week. He's playing on a medical extension this season after missing all of 2008 with a shoulder injury and showed some glimpses of form last week - this would have seen him close to the top 10 barring a few minor mistakes. The stats which impress me are his length (295+, 18th), birdies (5th this season) and putting from 25 feet or nearer which, on these small greens, is of huge importance. His ball striking improved last week and, if he follows that into this week, we could be reaping the rewards at a huge price.

Scott Piercy 1.25pts EW 125-1 Skybet; 2.5Pts Top 10 10-1 Skybet. See SB's comments, I couldn't agree more. Due a top 10, if not a top 5. Good showing last week on a course which doesn't suit. This course is much closer to his skillset.