The Zurich Classic of New Orleans runs April 23–26 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. It’s the only team event on the PGA Tour schedule, and that distinction makes it one of the more unpredictable weeks of the season.

Event Details at a Glance

The Zurich Classic takes place April 26-26, 2026, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, LA. The purse is $9,500,000 and the winner gets 400 FedExCup Points

Previous Winners: Andrew Novak & Ben Griffin ($1,329,400)

Coverage Information

  • TV: Golf Channel (Thursday–Friday); CBS (Saturday–Sunday)
  • Streaming: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

First tee Thursday morning in Avondale.

How the Format Works

Thursday and Saturday are fourball. Friday and Sunday are alternate shot. That shift is where most teams unravel. Two elite players who haven’t prepared together will struggle the moment alternate shot exposes their communication gaps. Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin proved that last year — their partnership won not because they outgunned the field, but because they understood their roles and trusted each other when it mattered most.

The Course

TPC Louisiana sits in the wetlands southwest of New Orleans. Designed by Pete Dye, this course is full of obstacles and challenges. Water comes into play on nearly every hole, the rough grabs anything offline, and the landing zones are tight enough that precision matters more than power.

Wind off the bayou is the other factor. Conditions that look manageable in the morning can play completely differently by afternoon, so teams that do their homework early have a genuine advantage.

Fourball rounds tend to produce low scores. Alternate shot can wipe out a lead in a matter of holes. That’s just the nature of the format.

Shawn Costello’s Perspective

PGA Master Professional Shawn Costello considers the Zurich Classic one of the most revealing weeks of the entire season. The format takes individual players out of their comfort zone.

According to Shawn Costello, alternate shot exposes communication and trust faster than almost any other format in the game. The teams that win aren’t necessarily the most talented, but they’re the ones who communicate and prepare properly together.