It has been 26 years since the last team tournament was held on the US PGA Tour. Excluding the Ryder and Presidents Cup, that is, as they are not included on the official schedule. This week top pairs competition returns, in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, as the tour follows a growing trend on other international circuits to provide fresh formats for golf fans, especially potential new ones. The last similar event was the 1981 Walt Disney World Team Championship.
On this occasion, tandems will play alternate-shot on Thursday and Saturday and best-ball on Friday and Sunday, with FedExCup points and prize money split as though the partners had tied. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson (last year’s Olympic gold and silver medallists, respectively) and Jason Day and Rickie Fowler are the marquee duos under the new format; while other pairs of note are Jordan Spieth/Ryan Palmer, Branden Grace/Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson/J.B. Holmes. In all, 12 of the top 25 players in the world rankings will tee it up in New Orleans, although only Rose/Stenson and Day/Fowler have both members in that top category.
The Zurich event is being held a week after the US Champions Tour also featured a pairs tournament. The Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf was played on a par-three course at Big Cedar Lodge (Missouri), eventually over a rain-shortened 36 holes.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez and José María Olazábal led at one stage on the second and final day, carding an eight-under 46 (nine holes of modified alternate shot and nine of better-ball) but a first-day three-under 51 thwarted their chances of victory, and they finished joint eighth, four strokes behind the winners, Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco. It was the Fijian’s first senior tour win, while Franco (from Paraguay) won the Shaw Charity Classic last year. As for the Spaniards, Jiménez has won four times since joining the Champions Tour in 2014, and Olazábal is competing in his rookie season. bal is competing in his first seasoinner, and Olaz'd the winners, Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco,entertainment for fans - and bal is competing in his first seasoinner, and Olaz'd the winners, Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco,entertainment for fans - and bal is competing in his first seasoinner, and Olaz'd the winners, Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco,entertainment for fans - and
