Zurich Classic of New Orleans Power Rankings
By Sam Belden
No. 7: Bud Cauley/Justin Thomas
OWGR – Cauley: No. 126, Thomas: No. 11
It won’t exactly be a home game for this pair of Alabama products, but TPC New Orleans is still safely inside SEC territory, so there should be a fun atmosphere surrounding this group. Cauley is playing better than he has in years; combine that with Thomas’ strong all-around game, and these two look like strong candidates to post some low scores.
Cauley has already picked up three top 10 finishes in 2017, matching his combined total from the last two years. What’s more, he’s been surging through the past couple of weeks, notching a tie for ninth at the RBC Heritage before continuing his run with a tie for 10th at the Valero Texas Open. That kind of momentum bodes well for his chances this week. Plus, if he runs into trouble, Thomas will be there to pick him up. The 23-year-old currently leads the PGA Tour in birdie average and has seen past success at the Zurich Classic, notching a tie for 12th back in 2015.
It’s been a long time since Cauley was last featured in one of our weekly fantasy posts, but with Thomas by his side, the risk is minimal. Expect these two to turn in a good performance this week.