The PGA Tour visits the Big Easy this week for the Zurich Classic. This event has a rich history. The first professional golf tournament in New Orleans was held in 1938 as the Crescent City Open and was won by Englishman Harry Cooper.
The city rolls out the red carpet, with fabulous dining opportunities and a plethora of night life options in the French Quarter, the tournament is a favorite stop for professional golfers.
The tournament has been held at various courses around New Orleans and former winners include, Jimmy Demaret, Byron Nelson, Billy Casper, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros and Ben Crenshaw. Two-time Masters Champion, Bubba Watson won here in 2011.
The tournament moved to TPC of Louisiana at Avondale in 2005 and has been contested here since. Pete Dye designed the par 72, 7,341 yard course that opened for play in 2004.
156 players will vie for a piece of the $6.8 million purse with $1.224 million going to the winner.
Billy Horschel began the final round of the 2013 Zurich Classic two shots behind tournament leader Lucas Glover, but six consecutive birdies on Nos. 7-12 completely changed the complexion of the leaderboard. He then holed a 26-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole for an eight-under par 64 to earn his first PGA Tour win.
Patrick Reed is in the field this week that includes 10 of the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings. 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose will play along with seven former Zurich Classic champions.
Other players of note in the field are four-time major champion Ernie Els, who was the runner-up here in 2012 and Rickie Fowler, who is coming off a sixth-place finish at the Shell Houston Open and a T-5 at the Masters.
Four players, David Bradshaw, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Morris and Garrett Osborn, Monday qualified for the field. Koepka is returning to competitive golf after taking a couple weeks off and posted eight-under par 64 to make the field. He has used up his allotted sponsor’s exemptions and is just a few FedEx Cup points shy of earning special temporary exemption to the PGA Tour.
Many of golf’s big names are taking the week off and resting before the Players Championship in two weeks.