Champ, Finau, Rahm, Schauffele, Cantlay, Morikawa, Wolff Flock to Zurich

Lots of big names are in New Orleans this week, partnering up for the Zurich Classic. Cameron Champ, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff and Jon Rahm are among the players. This week, we’ll find out how much they enjoy team play. In some cases, it may be a preview of Ryder Cup pairings.

Long hitters, Champ and Finau, are going to be a duo to watch. They may or may not win, but you have to watch them. You just have to. The best ball portion of the event should be amazing. One will go for it and depending on the outcome, the other might blast a drive, too.

NAPLES, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 13: Cameron Champ of the United States and Tony Finau of the United States look on from the first tee during the final round of the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on December 13, 2020 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /

They got together through business.

“I actually met Cameron through my manager, Chris Armstrong,” Finau explained.

They played a practice round in Champ’s rookie year and have been BFFs since. The two partnered in the QBE ShootOut last December and, while they finished middle of the pack event, they enjoyed it.

When asked who was longer, Champ insisted it is Finau.

“When he takes it back full, he is the longest on Tour,” Champ insisted.

“I will say, though, at the high speeds, Cameron knows where it’s going a lot more often than I do,” Finau admitted.

However, Finau said he doesn’t focus on the driving distance stat. He’s more interested in doing well at tournaments and having a low scoring average than he is in being the longest.

In what has become a feature of the tournament, they have walk out music.

“We actually have a band playing — a local band playing — so we’re going to have a little bit of jazz music, actually, just to kind of pay homage to New Orleans,” Finau said.

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Then, there are two, laid back, California guys who will generate a lot of interest, Schauffele and Cantlay.

“As everyone knows, we have been teammates at the Presidents Cup, and we have the Ryder Cup this year, and Pat and I are good friends,” Schauffele said of the pairing. “We figured it was a bit of a no-brainer.”

KAPALUA, HAWAII – JANUARY 04: Xander Schauffele of the United States and Patrick Cantlay of the United States walk from the tenth green during a practice round prior to the Sentry Tournament Of Champions on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 04, 2021 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /

“I’ve been grinding on Xander for a while now, since Hawaii,” Cantlay said about his efforts to get Schauffele to partner with him this week.

The two definitely have some team play experience. They played four matches together at the last Presidents Cup. Cantlay said he was the instigator of the pairing, but Schauffele agrees that they are a good partnership.

“We definitely meshed and clicked really well, and our games matched up and our mentalities aligned, and I think Stricker, he knows that I would love to play with Pat and vice versa.” Schauffele added.

In the opposites attract pair, Morikawa is playing with Wolff as his partner. Morikawa is a medium length hitter while Wolff out hit Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 03: Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff inspect the 12th green during the first round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin on October 3, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

“We have been playing high school golf and AJGA and junior golf and college golf together and now we’re at the biggest stage,” Wolff said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“You got to have good chemistry out here, and I think we really do,” Morikawa said about the duo.

They say that they won’t put pressure on each other because each will already be putting pressure on himself to perform well.

Morikawa has distance envy when it comes to Wolff’s game. He’d like to be able to park a drive out there 320 yards, but knows it’s unlikely to happen.

Wolff, on the other hand, pointed out that Morikawa usually knows where his ball is going while Wolff’s shots can be more inaccurate the farther they go.

They are staying downtown and look forward to some great New Orleans meals, but have not decided how much time to spend in the French Quarter or Bourbon Street.

“Once you go there, it’s hard to leave,” Wolff quipped.

One interesting pairing is the 40 somethings: Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. Rose had three great rounds at the Masters, and Stenson just started using his 3-wood off the tee again. Stenson’s 3-wood shots were what paid his bills and won him the biggest tournaments. When he’s on, he’s one of the straightest hitters anywhere. Rose is also a put it in the fairway and on the green kind of guy.

Rose won a U.S. Open. Stenson won the British Open and The Players. That means the center of the course is likely where you’ll find them most of the time.

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 31: Justin Rose of England and Henrik Stenson of Sweden running off of the 17th tee during the first round of the Saudi International at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on January 31, 2019 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /

For Rose, this is his 14th Zurich. He said it made him feel really old.

He and Stenson have partnered three times already at Zurich without winning, but decided to give it another go.

“I think that is always that temptation to say sorry,” Rose noted about bad shots in team events. “It’s not wanting to let your partner down, but we have let each other down multiple times already.”

“We got over that hurdle,” Stenson quipped, pointing out that they have known each other a long time and have played together in many Ryder Cups. “We know each other and trust each other, and I think that’s been obviously key to our success as well in the Ryder Cups and having that comfort.”

In the defending champions category are Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer. Like Rory McIlroy at The Players in 2021, Rahm and Palmer are still defending even though the last event was held in 2019.

Rahm has had some personal changes in the two years, most notably a new baby in the house, which always takes some adjustments.

“The last two weeks since the birth of the little one, I haven’t figured out the right balance to be able to spend the time on the golf course,” Rahm admitted.

He said it was hard to leave home with the new baby there, and that he had to work to focus. He offered an apology to Palmer in advance.

They’ve already had a high-profile New Orleans social occasion, dinner with Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints coach, and Mickey Loomis, the GM of the Saints. They went to Desi Vega’s Steakhouse.

According to Palmer, their strategy is the same as the last time. It worked well, and they’d like to repeat as champions.

“I tee off on the odds, he tees off on the evens,” Palmer noted. “We use each other’s ball when needed on certain holes because we’re playing two different golf balls.”

Palmer said he practiced with Rahm’s golf ball last week.

“For example, we’ll go off No. 1, I tee off on the odds, so I’ll tee off with his ball, just knowing that he can hit his ball with a wedge,” Palmer explained.

On the par threes, they play each other’s ball.

“Then par-5, what we do is, if he is teeing off, he’ll tee off with his ball,” Palmer continued. “That way I know for sure he’s going to have his ball around the green, using his short game.”

Other notable teams playing include:

· Tyrrell Hatton, ranked 8th in the world, with fellow Englishman and former Masters winner Danny Willett

· Billy Horschel, ranked 18th in the world, with former LSU All-American Sam Burns

· Aussies Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, Presidents Cup partners

· Bubba Watson, two-time Masters champ, with 2020 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Scottie Scheffler

· Billy Horschel, former FedExCup winner and winner of the Zurich Classic as an individual and with a partner, with LSU All-American Sam Burns.

Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed on the course each day.

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