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Patrick Gates shares his betting card for the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and breaks down each of his selections for this week's event.
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The PGA Tour travels to Avondale, Louisiana, this weekend for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Zurich Classic of New Orleans will feature a field of 74 teams.
In an article released on Monday, I broke down everything you need to know about the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, from course details to key stats and historical trends. If you have not checked that out yet, I highly recommend giving it a read. As always, if you have questions about any players or the event itself, feel free to reach out to me on social media or in Discord.
With that said, let’s dive into the lone team event of the season as I break down my betting card for the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans!
Outright Selections
Michael Thorbjornsen & Karl Vilips (+1950) - DraftKings
Former Stanford teammates Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips reunite this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, forming one of the more intriguing teams in the field.
Thorbjornsen is still searching for his first PGA TOUR win, but his form suggests it is coming soon. He has multiple close calls over the past two seasons, including runner-up finishes at the John Deere Classic in 2024 and the Corales Puntacana Championship in 2025.
This year, he nearly broke through again with a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open, missing a playoff by one shot. He also played in the final pairing at THE PLAYERS before a difficult Sunday dropped him to T22.
Vilips already has a PGA TOUR victory, winning the Puerto Rico Open last season. While his results this year have been inconsistent, his underlying numbers are trending in the right direction.
After losing strokes on approach in four of his first five starts, he has now gained with his irons in four straight events. His putting has remained steady, and his off the tee play has improved. With players often clubbing down at TPC Louisiana, that should help minimize any accuracy concerns.
The duo also finished T4 in this event last season, just three shots back. A costly double bogey on the 17th on Sunday ultimately took them out of contention.
