Zurich Showdown: A Two Versus Two Battle for the Ages
A weekend to remember in New Orleans that ended with a final winning score of 28 under par presented a partner tournament to remember. Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin won after the duo finished at 28-under-par after a final-round 71 in alternate-shot play, edging out Rasmus Højgaard and Nicolai Højgaard by one stroke. It is also a monumental moment for Novak and Griffin, neither of whom has won on the PGA Tour. Their success at the Zurich Classic not only delivered their first titles but also helped them entrench their long-term status on Tour. Though neither of them has yet to win on their own, it will nonetheless give them good momentum as they head into the main stages of the PGA Tour schedule. Griffin and Novak were tied with Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard before Griffin sank a long birdie putt on 17, giving them the one shot that led them to the tournament win.
Other big storylines in the tournament included PGA Tour rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo establishing a new event 18-hole record with a 14-under 58 in the four-ball competition, besting the previous mark of 59 and with held by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Shauffele. For the rookies, it’s one of their first milestones on the tour, adding them to a bunch of new tour players looking to put their names on the board. The biggest takeaway from this event, however, is the recent play of Andrew Novak, who has now placed at least top three in each of his last three starts, including a last week playoff loss to Justin Thomas and a third at the Texas Valero. While this won’t contribute too much to a spot in the majors, it could earn him what would be a much-deserved spot on this year's Ryder Cup team alongside the best players in the world. Griffin, on the other hand, got his first win on Tour with this win, getting back on track after an up-and-down year that has included three top 10s and three missed cuts.
The defending champs and favorites in Shane Lowry and Masters Champion Rory McIlroy did make the cut, shooting eleven under through the first two rounds, but would finish seven strokes back after finishing just 22 under due to a final round 72. This tournament didn’t seem as important to the duo, as not only did Rory just win the Masters, but the pair also seems to just have the most fun out of any of the teams. With a first cut at nine under, however, every team had to play decently to make the weekend. Saying that, though, the scores went way down on Sunday due to weather, even causing a short suspension in play during the afternoon. The next big tournament of the year moves to Quail Hollow Country Club in mid-May, but most of the top players will be seen in the next few weeks in Myrtle Beach or Philly. Will Andrew Novak’s continued play land him another win, who will look the best going into a very hard course at Quail, and many other questions will be answered as we go into May, but as of now, the two defending winners reside in Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin.
