Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Cantlay, Schauffele stay in control

Patrick Cantlay - TheGolfingHub
Patrick Cantlay 9right) and Xander Schauffele go into the weekend with a cushion at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Photo: bignewsnetwork.com

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (1st/-17) followed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 18-hole scoring record of 13-under 59 (Four-ball) with a 4-under 68 in Friday’s Foursomes format.

Second-round leaders to convert for the win since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans became a team event in 2017: Jonas Blixt/Cameron Smith (2017), Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (2019).

Related: Asian imprint all over Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Cantlay/Schauffele’s lone bogey through 36 holes came at the par-4 12th in Round Two.

 

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Finished T11 in their debut appearance as a team in 2021.

Zurich Classic history entering the week: Cantlay (3-of-4 made cuts; best finish – T7 in 2018), Schauffele (2-of-2 made cuts; T11 in 2017 and 2021),

Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup Champion and PGA TOUR Player of the Year, seeks his seventh PGA TOUR win. His last victory came at the 2021 TOUR Championship. Schauffele’s most recent of four TOUR titles came at the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

 

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Cantlay comes into the week on the heels of a playoff loss to Jordan Spieth at last week’s RBC Heritage.

Following their 11-under 61 in Four-ball in Round One, Aaron Rai/David Lipsky (T2/-16) offset one bogey (par-4 sixth hole) with six birdies, good for a 5-under 67; both remain in search of their first career PGA TOUR title. Both have collected one top-10 finish in 16 starts each this season (Lipsky: T7/Corales Puntacana Championship, Rai: T6/Farmers Insurance Open).

Playing together for a second time (T17/2021), Doc Redman/Sam Ryder (T2/-16) followed an 11-under 61 in Round One (Four-ball) with a bogey-free 5-under 67 in Round Two.

Ryder, No. 111 in the FedExCup, seeks his first PGA TOUR title in his 126th start; Redman, No. 153 in the FedExCup, seeks his first TOUR title in his 81st start; both have collected a pair of runner-up finishes.

Paired together for the first time in the event, Cameron Tringale/Wyndham Clark (T4/-15) offset a lone bogey with four birdies and an eagle (par-5 seventh hole), good for a 5-under 67. Each seeks first career PGA TOUR title.

Australians Jason Day/Jason Scrivener (T6/-14) and South Africans Branden Grace/Garrick Higgo (T4/-15) tie the Foursomes tournament record with a 7-under 65 (Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer/Round Two/2019).

 

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Billy Horschel/Sam Burns (T6/-14) followed an outgoing nine of 1-over 37 with a 5-under 31 coming in, good for a 4-under 68; Horschel is the only player to win the Zurich Classic in both the individual (2013) and team format (with Scott Piercy in 2018).

Defending champions Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith (T8/-11) offset two bogeys with six birdies to get in with a 4-under 68; Smith is a two-time winner of the event (2021/Leishman; 2017/Jonas Blixt) and currently leads the Presidents Cup International Team standings, while Leishman is No. 12.

 

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Making his 799th official PGA TOUR start, Jay Haas (and son, Bill), followed a first-round 7-under 65 in Four-ball with a 1-under 71 in Foursomes; at 68 years, 4 months, 20 days.

 

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Jay Haas becomes the oldest player to make an official cut on the PGA TOUR (previously Sam Snead/1979 FedEx St. Jude Championship at 67 years, 2 months, 23 days).

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