Zurich Classic of New Orleans Power Rankings
By Sam Belden
No. 5: Daniel Berger/Thomas Pieters
OWGR – Berger: No. 37, Pieters: No. 27
This team features a pair of exciting youngsters who have already done a fair amount of winning in their careers. Berger found the winner’s circle at last year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic, while Pieters is a three-time champion on the European Tour. With resumes like that, it’s no surprise that this duo stands out as one of the best in the field at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Both Berger and Pieters are playing well at the moment, but it’s the Belgian who really stands out. In his most recent start, Pieters shot a pair of 68s to pull out a backdoor tie for fourth at the Masters, his third top five finish in six events. This week will mark his first career start at TPC Louisiana, but his absurd talent makes him stand out from the field even still. Berger is also in good form, notching a solo fifth at the Shell Houston Open just a few weeks ago. With two career top 20s at the Zurich Classic, including a tie for sixth in 2015, he’s the experienced one in the group.
It’s not really a matter of if these young guns will do more winning — it’s when. Berger and Pieters should form a formidable duo, so why not this week?