The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a professional golf tournament in Louisiana on the PGA Tour, currently held at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, a suburb southwest of New Orleans. Beginning in 1938 and held annually since 1958, it is commonly played in early to mid-spring. Zurich Insurance Group is the main sponsor, and it is organized by the Fore!Kids Foundation.About Fore!Kids Foundation
First prize reached five figures in 1965, six figures in and passed the million-dollar mark in 2006. The winning team in 2022 split over $2.39 million.
In 2017, the Zurich Classic became a team event, with eighty pairs. One member of each team is initially chosen via the Tour priority rankings, and his partner must either be a PGA Tour member or earn entry through a sponsor exemption. The stroke play format was alternate shot (foursome) in the first and third rounds and better ball (fourball) for the second and fourth rounds. The cut line is 33 teams, plus ties. The winners earn 400 FedEx Cup points and two-year exemptions, but will not receive Masters invitations and no world ranking points are awarded for the event.
In 2018, the format switched to fourball for the first and third rounds and alternate shot for the second and fourth rounds.
Tournament names and corporate sponsors Crescent City Open (1938) New Orleans Open (1939–1948) Greater New Orleans Open Invitational (1958–1971) Greater New Orleans Invitational (1972–1974) First NBC New Orleans Open (1975–1979) Greater New Orleans Open (1980) USF&G New Orleans Open (1981) USF&G Classic (1982–1991) Freeport-McMoRan Golf Classic (1992–1993) Freeport-McMoRan Classic (1994–1995) Freeport- McDermott Classic (1996–1998) Compaq Classic of New Orleans (1999–2002) HP Classic of New Orleans (2003–2004) Zurich Classic of New Orleans (2005–present)
Tournament highlights 1966: Frank Beard wins his first New Orleans title by two shots over Gardner Dickinson. The win by Beard came two years after his being diagnosed with and almost dying of encephalitis shortly after playing in the 1964 Greater New Orleans Open Invitational. 1972: PGA Tour rookie Rogelio Gonzales was disqualified after it was learned he had changed his scorecard earlier in the tournament. In addition to his disqualification, the PGA Tour lifted Gonzales playing privileges. 1974: Lee Trevino wins with a bogey-free four rounds, a rare occurrence. 1975: Billy Casper wins for the 51st and ultimately last time on the PGA Tour. He beats Peter Oosterhuis by two shots.Casper Wins New Orleans Tournament 1978: Lon Hinkle earns his first ever PGA Tour title by birdieing the 72nd hole to beat Fuzzy Zoeller and Gibby Gilbert by one shot. The win by Hinkle ends Gary Player's consecutive tournament winning streak at three.Hinkle wins in New Orleans Player's streak ends 1984: Mac O'Grady gets into an altercation with a female tournament volunteer. Two years later, he was fined and suspended by Tour Commissioner Deane Beman for conduct unbecoming a professional golfer.O'Grady fined and suspended by US Tour 1990: David Frost beats Greg Norman by one shot after holing out from a sand trap on the 72nd hole.Norman felled by Frost's bunker shot 1995: In need of a win to qualify for The Masters, Davis Love III defeats Mike Heinen in a sudden death playoff.GOLF; Late Berth In Masters to Davis Love 1999: Carlos Franco becomes the first South American to win on the PGA Tour since Roberto De Vicenzo at the 1968 Houston Champions International. Franco wins by two shots over Steve Flesch and Harrison Frazar.Paraguay's Franco gets first tour victory in New Orleans 2002: K. J. Choi becomes the first Korean born golfer to win on the PGA Tour. He beats Dudley Hart and Geoff Ogilvy by four shots.Choi wins Compaq Classic by four strokes 2004: Vijay Singh shoots a final round 63 to beat Phil Mickelson and Joe Ogilvie by one shot.Singh rallies for second straight title 2017: The event switched to a team format.
Courses From the event's inception through 2004, it was played at a series of courses in New Orleans, starting at the City Park Golf Courses, where it was played through 1962. From 1963 through 1988, the event had a lengthy relationship with Lakewood Country Club before shifting to English Turn Golf and Country Club in 1989 for sixteen editions through 2004.
TPC Louisiana in Avondale became the host in 2005, but damage to the course by Hurricane Katrina that August forced the event back to English Turn for a year in 2006. It returned to the TPC in 2007, its current home.
Course layout TPC Louisiana in 2016 Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal Yards3995482214824384765613722073,7043905754924032164903552155853,7217,425 Par453444543364544344353672 Source:
Winners YearWinner(s)ScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurse(US$)Winner'sshare ($)Ref.Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 Alex Fitzpatrick and Matt Fitzpatrick 257 −31 1 stroke Kristoffer Reitan and Kristoffer Ventura Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer 9,500,000 2025 Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak 260 −28 1 stroke Nicolai Højgaard and Rasmus Højgaard 9,200,000 2024 Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy 263 −25 Playoff Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer 8,900,000 2023 Nick Hardy and Davis Riley 258 −30 2 strokes Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor 8,600,000 2022 Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 259 −29 2 strokes Sam Burns and Billy Horschel 8,300,000 2021 Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith (2) 268 −20 Playoff Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel 7,400,000 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2019 Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm 262 −26 3 strokes Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio García 7,300,000 2018 Billy Horschel (2) and Scott Piercy 266 −22 1 stroke Jason Dufner and Pat Perez 7,200,000 2017 Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith 261 −27 Playoff Scott Brown and Kevin Kisner 7,100,000 2016 Brian Stuard 201 −15 Playoff An Byeong-hun Jamie Lovemark 7,000,000 1,260,000 2015 Justin Rose 266 −22 1 stroke Cameron Tringale 6,900,000 1,242,000 2014 Noh Seung-yul 269 −19 2 strokes Robert Streb Andrew Svoboda 6,800,000 1,224,000 2013 Billy Horschel 268 −20 1 stroke D. A. Points 6,600,000 1,188,000 2012 Jason Dufner 269 −19 Playoff Ernie Els 6,400,000 1,152,000 2011 Bubba Watson 273 −15 Playoff Webb Simpson 6,400,000 1,152,000 2010 Jason Bohn 270 −18 2 strokes Jeff Overton 6,400,000 1,152,000 2009 Jerry Kelly 274 −14 1 stroke Charles Howell III Rory Sabbatini Charlie Wi 6,300,000 1,134,000 2008 Andrés Romero 275 −13 1 stroke Peter Lonard 6,200,000 1,116,000 2007 Nick Watney 273 −15 3 strokes Ken Duke 6,100,000 1,098,000 2006 Chris Couch 269 −19 1 stroke Fred Funk Charles Howell III 6,000,000 1,080,000 2005 Tim Petrovic 275 −13 Playoff James Driscoll 5,500,000 990,000 HP Classic of New Orleans 2004 Vijay Singh 266 −22 1 stroke Phil Mickelson Joe Ogilvie 5,100,000 918,000 2003 Steve Flesch 267 −21 Playoff Bob Estes 5,000,000 900,000 Compaq Classic of New Orleans 2002 K. J. Choi 271 −17 4 strokes Dudley Hart Geoff Ogilvy 4,500,000 810,000 2001 David Toms 266 −22 2 strokes Phil Mickelson 4,000,000 720,000 2000 Carlos Franco (2) 270 −18 Playoff Blaine McCallister 3,400,000 612,000 1999 Carlos Franco 269 −19 2 strokes Steve Flesch Harrison Frazar 2,600,000 468,000 Freeport-McDermott Classic 1998 Lee Westwood 273 −15 3 strokes Steve Flesch 1,700,000 306,000 1997 Brad Faxon 272 −16 3 strokes Bill Glasson Jesper Parnevik 1,500,000 270,000 1996 Scott McCarron 275 −13 5 strokes Tom Watson 1,200,000 216,000 Freeport-McMoRan Classic 1995 Davis Love III 274 −14 Playoff Mike Heinen 1,200,000 216,000 1994 Ben Crenshaw (2) 273 −15 3 strokes José María Olazábal 1,200,000 216,000 Freeport-McMoRan Golf Classic 1993 Mike Standly 281 −7 1 stroke Russ Cochran Payne Stewart 1,000,000 180,000 1992 Chip Beck (2) 276 −12 1 stroke Greg Norman Mike Standly 1,000,000 180,000 USF&G Classic 1991 Ian Woosnam 275 −13 Playoff Jim Hallet 1,000,000 180,000 1990 David Frost 276 −12 1 stroke Greg Norman 1,000,000 180,000 1989 Tim Simpson 274 −14 2 strokes Greg Norman Hal Sutton 750,000 135,000 1988 Chip Beck 262 −26 7 strokes Lanny Wadkins 750,000 135,000 1987 Ben Crenshaw 268 −20 3 strokes Curtis Strange 500,000 90,000 1986 Calvin Peete 269 −19 5 strokes Pat McGowan 500,000 90,000 1985 Seve Ballesteros 205 −11 2 strokes Peter Jacobsen John Mahaffey 400,000 72,000 1984 Bob Eastwood 272 −16 3 strokes Larry Rinker 400,000 72,000 1983 Bill Rogers 274 −14 3 strokes David Edwards Jay Haas Vance Heafner 400,000 72,000 1982 Scott Hoch 206 −10 2 strokes Bob Shearer Tom Watson 300,000 54,000 USF&G New Orleans Open 1981 Tom Watson (2) 270 −18 2 strokes Bruce Fleisher 350,000 63,000 Greater New Orleans Open 1980 Tom Watson 273 −15 2 strokes Lee Trevino 250,000 45,000 First NBC New Orleans Open 1979 Hubert Green 273 −15 1 stroke Frank Conner Bruce Lietzke Steve Melnyk Lee Trevino 250,000 45,000 1978 Lon Hinkle 271 −17 1 stroke Gibby Gilbert Fuzzy Zoeller 200,000 40,000 1977 Jim Simons 273 −15 3 strokes Stan Lee 175,000 35,000 1976 Larry Ziegler 274 −14 1 stroke Victor Regalado 175,000 35,000 1975 Billy Casper (2) 271 −17 2 strokes Peter Oosterhuis 150,000 30,000 Greater New Orleans Open 1974 Lee Trevino 267 −21 8 strokes Bobby Cole Ben Crenshaw 150,000 30,000 1973 Jack Nicklaus 280 −8 Playoff Miller Barber 125,000 25,000 1972 Gary Player 279 −9 1 stroke Dave Eichelberger Jack Nicklaus 125,000 25,000 Greater New Orleans Open Invitational 1971 Frank Beard (2) 276 −12 1 stroke Hubert Green 125,000 25,000 1970 Miller Barber 278 −10 Playoff Bob Charles Howie Johnson 125,000 25,000 1969 Larry Hinson 275 −13 Playoff Frank Beard 100,000 20,000 1968 George Archer 271 −17 2 strokes Bert Yancey 100,000 20,000 1967 George Knudson 277 −11 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus 100,000 20,000 1966 Frank Beard 276 −12 2 strokes Gardner Dickinson 100,000 20,000 1965 Dick Mayer 273 −15 1 stroke Bruce Devlin Billy Martindale 100,000 20,000 1964 Mason Rudolph 283 −5 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus Chi-Chi Rodríguez Glenn Stuart 50,000 7,500 1963 Bo Wininger (2) 279 −9 3 strokes Tony Lema Bob Rosburg 40,000 6,400 1962 Bo Wininger 281 −7 2 strokes Bob Rosburg 30,000 4,300 1961 Doug Sanders 272 −16 5 strokes Gay Brewer Mac Main 30,000 4,300 1960 Dow Finsterwald 270 −18 6 strokes Al Besselink 25,000 3,500 1959 Bill Collins 280 −8 3 strokes Jack Burke Jr. Tom Nieporte 20,000 2,800 1958 Billy Casper 278 −10 Playoff Ken Venturi 20,000 2,800 1949–1957: No tournamentNew Orleans Open1948 Bob Hamilton 280 −4 1 stroke Roberto De Vicenzo Fred Haas Lawson Little 10,000 2,000 1947: No tournament1946 Byron Nelson (2) 277 −11 5 strokes Ben Hogan 7,500 1,500 1945 Byron Nelson 284 −4 Playoff Jug McSpaden 5,000 1,300 1944 Sammy Byrd 285 −3 5 strokes Byron Nelson 5,000 1,000 1943: No tournament1942 Lloyd Mangrum 281 −7 1 stroke Lawson Little Sam Snead 5,000 1,000 1941 Henry Picard (2) 276 −12 2 strokes Ben Hogan 5,000 1,200 1940 Jimmy Demaret 286 −2 1 stroke Ralph Guldahl Jug McSpaden Sam Snead 10,000 2,000 1939 Henry Picard 284 −4 5 strokes Dick Metz 10,000 2,000 Crescent City Open1938 Harry Cooper 285 −3 4 strokes Jug McSpaden 5,000 1,200 Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records Sources:Zurich Classic of New Orleans – Winners - at pgatour.comZurich Classic of New Orleans – Past Winners & Highlights
See also Southern (Spring) Open, a 1922 PGA Tour event in New Orleans Sports in New Orleans
Notes
References
External links
Coverage on PGA Tour's official site TPC Louisiana – official site – former host (1989–2004, 2006) Lakewood Golf Club – former host (1963–1988) City Park Golf Courses – former host (1937–1962)