Blake Krass breaks down his first round leader picks and best bets for the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.

Following a great stop at the RBC Heritage, the next stop on the PGA TOUR calendar is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This is one of the most unique tournaments of the year, as players compete in pairs at this event.

This is a look at the best first-round leader bets to make for the event on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans: First Round Leader Picks

Last week was a great PGA TOUR event, with Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick going to a playoff at Harbour Town. Fitzpatrick came out victorious and is now headed to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic. Fitzpatrick is the betting favorite, playing alongside his brother, Alex Fitzpatrick. The other top team on the odds board is the surprising duo of Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka.

TPC Louisiana is a Par 72 course, which stretches over 7,425 yards. The course has small greens and requires precision with iron play to avoid trouble. There are water hazards and bunkers all over the course, requiring smart strategy from these players. That strategy only becomes more important in the team format.

Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry FRL (+2700)

Shane Lowry has done a great job at this tournament over the past couple of years, competing alongside his close friend Rory McIlroy. The duo won the event in 2024 and followed that up with a solid T-12 finish last year. McIlroy has decided not to play in the event this year, but Lowry found a solid replacement in Brooks Koepka. Koepka has started to play better golf since returning to the PGA TOUR. However, he is desperate for a big win to get into the rest of the signature events on the PGA TOUR calendar. That is why the unlikely duo of Koepka and Lowry is a massive threat at this event.

Koepka is coming off a T-12 at the Masters and has now finished T-18 or better in four of his past five events on the PGA TOUR. His ball-striking has been sensational this season, ranking second on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green. This duo should work well together and have a great chance to go low in the opening round at TPC Louisiana.

Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge FRL (+5300)

This is a duo with much longer odds that could be competitive this week. Billy Horschel has not been great this season, but this is one of his favorite courses in the world. Two of Horschel’s eight career wins on the PGA TOUR came here at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Horschel won the event in 2013 and again in 2018. In his last six trips to this tournament, he has five finishes of 13th place or better, including three top-five finishes. Horschel should bring his experience at this event and his reliable iron play to New Orleans. He will be playing alongside Tom Hoge, who has played in this tournament 10 times in his career. That makes this one of the most experienced duos in the field at this tough course.

The opening round is where Horschel has been at his best this season. He ranks 45th in First Round Scoring Average, while ranking outside the top 100 on Friday and Saturday. It has been the same for Hoge, who ranks 43rd in First Round Scoring Average, but outside the top 100 on all three other days. These are two highly experienced players with strong iron play, who can use their experience to come out of the gates hot and take the lead into Friday.