The most interesting and amusing teams at the Zurich Classic

The Zurich Classic has put life into the post-Masters PGA Tour schedule. Prior to last year, this was another sleepy event bridging the gap between the men’s first major of the season and The Players Championship. Associating the word “sleepy” with anything held in New Orleans seems incongruous, but the event lacked juice. The field was weak and it was played on a course that can be monotonous and forgettable.

The two-man team format, instituted last year, has put life into this tournament. The teams play four-ball on Thursday and Saturday, and then play the alternate shot foursomes format on Friday and Sunday (typically the hardest and most significant style change for these pros).

It’s not just a highlight of that post-Masters schedule, but it’s now also one of the best regular season events of the year. It’s always fun to pick at how the partnerships come together, how the each player’s game will compliment his partner’s, and maybe how they won’t. You’ll hear all about the high-profile players’ teams led by guys like Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, and Justin Rose. But almost every pairing on the tee sheet is interesting or weird or entertaining for one reason or another. Here are a few that amused or piqued my interest, and maybe a few you should root for this weekend in NOLA.

The Father-Son tournament is a staple of golf’s silly season — that run of gimmicky events at the end of the year that aren’t official. But Brian Gay and Aaron Wise are bringing that vibe to the regular season. From the coif, to a preference for garish Nike colors, to the requisite age-disparity (25 years), I am sold. It’s heartwarming to watch a dad playing golf with his son at the highest level.

This event has made strange bedfellows in its first two years. There are many obvious and natural pairings. There are some that are just by necessity, the whole last two guys to be picked on the playground pair up together dynamic. The Wesley Bryan and Jon Rahm pairing seems so unnatural and odd to me.

Bryan is from South Carolina, a former trick shot artist (ICYMI), and someone who had to grind his ass off to make it to the highest tour. Rahm is from Spain, an amateur legend who crushed it at ASU, and immediately rocketed into the top five of the world rankings in his first year as a pro. There seems to be so little common ground or a point where their paths would have crossed. But the two are apparently close friends and quickly became tight in their first days on Tour, playing together on some sponsor’s exemptions. This is also one of the teams on this list that will get plenty of coverage thanks to Rahm.

The Kevin Na and Byeong-hun An duo is easy on the scoreboard operators and walking scorekeepers. There are three players in the field with last names that are just two letters, and two of the three are playing together.

Na and An are also coming out to Master P as their walkup music. Na catches some shit for his slow play, but he’s actually got some personality for a PGA Tour pro, and so does An. I love these guys leaning into it and playing together and their games are in good enough shape to contend come Sunday.

Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker probably have a separate fridge in their garage, a garage that’s attached on the front of their house on a cul-de-sac on a street named Rolling Meadows Court (or something comparable). That separate fridge is for beers only, beers that were acquired at no greater a rate than 55 cents per can.

David Duval and Jim Furyk were two of the great golfers of their era. They have 46 pro wins between the two of them. They were long-term steady residents near the top of the world rankings, with Duval even getting to No. 1. And in any other era the would both probably have more than one major each.

For old time’s sake, in one of the rounds this week I need Furyk to go with the full button-down golf shirt and Duval to go with that turn-of-the-century Nike mock turtle.

There are more British names out there than Chris Paisley and Tommy Fleetwood, but not many (Fleetwood is also a wonderful candidate for my colleague’s “England or Alabama” game).

These two have come through in the biggest moments for Team Europe, over and over again. They’re a big reason for the run of Euro dominance over the last decade. Ian Poulter, who was on the final edge of losing his Tour card this time last year, has risen from the dead and is coming to crush your American soul at the Ryder Cup this fall. Graeme McDowell is not. But they could easily win this week.

Hudson and Harris. Harris and Hudson. The two are members of the Sea Island mafia, UGA legends, and, by golf standards, a couple of big boys (6’3 with a frame). Both Hudson Swafford and Harris English can murder the ball off the tee and possess loads of natural talent. It’s an SEC sibs weekend team that also happens to hit the golf ball 300-plus yards with ease.

The Celtics would have definitely won the NBA title if Kyrie Irving didn’t get hurt. Deflategate, spygate, and every other gate was a hoax. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are on the best of terms. David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and the entire 2004 Red Sox roster was clean. And Trot Nixon should be in the Hall of Fame. This is the presumed chit-chat in the fairway from the Jon Curran and Keegan Bradley team.

On their own, Rory Sabbatini and John Daly are two of the most unpredictable, combustible players in this sport’s history. Putting them together seems quite mad. I once watched Sabbo walk off the 18th hole of a tourney, pass through scoring, and head straight to the patio bar of the club hosting the event. It was inspiring and relatable. He runs as hot as any player in golf, but has played well through the first quarter of this year. He’s 10 for 10 on cuts made this year ... and that makes teaming up with Daly a bit of a puzzling decision. Daly should maaaaybe not be getting exemptions on the PGA Tour, but this quirky format makes it more acceptable to have him here this week.

Sabbo has now played this event with Bryson DeChambeau and Daly in consecutive years. That’s the full spectrum. From chocolate milk and advanced calculus to diet Coke, cigarettes, and unthinking grip-it-and-rip-it.