Zurich Classic First Round: A Record Score and Changes at PGA Tour
Introduction
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a golf tournament. It started on Thursday. Two-player teams play together. The PGA Tour also made some changes. It cut some jobs and changed the schedule.
Main Body
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer shot a score of 58. That is 14 under par. It ties the tournament record. They made 12 birdies and one eagle. They started with birdie, eagle, birdie. Springer made birdies on holes 15 to 18. They lead by one stroke. Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat shot 59. They made 10 birdies in a row. Eckroat made an eagle on hole 7. Three teams are tied for third at 12 under par. Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge are at 11 under par. Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry shot 66. They are not in the top 50. The weather was warm and sunny. A breeze came in the afternoon. The top 33 teams will play after 36 holes. The tournament is between the Masters and the RBC Heritage. Two big events come after it. The tournament director said this six-week time is hard. No top player will play all six events. One person said the Zurich field looks like a lower-level tour. The total prize money is 9.5 million dollars. Each winner gets 1,372,750 dollars. The event started at TPC Louisiana in 2005. It became a team event in 2016. The PGA Tour also let go 56 workers. That is about 4% of all workers. It will not fill 73 empty jobs. It will add 30 or more new jobs. This happened after a private company gave 1.5 billion dollars in 2024. The new CEO said the job cuts were difficult but important. The commissioner stays on the board. The CEO wants a new schedule with 21 to 26 top events. The Tour will not go to Hawaii in 2027.
Conclusion
The first round ended with a record score. Smalley and Springer are in first place. The tournament continues on Friday with a different format. The PGA Tour is changing its structure.