Polzin highlighted Keith Mitchell and J.T. Poston as the "team to go out of your way to target." They are 3rd in his overall rankings despite mid‑tier pricing. Poston arrives with 10 consecutive made cuts and an 11th‑place finish last start, while Mitchell owns four straight made cuts, including a runner‑up where he set the course record in round one. The duo share SEC roots and comparable playing styles that should translate to alternate‑shot chemistry. With sportsbooks hanging them in the 25‑to‑1 range, Polzin likes them for outrights, top‑5s, and as a DFS salary‑saver stack that still offers legitimate win equity.

Polzin advised passing on Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama despite the marquee name. His blended model grades them only 9th overall, yet sportsbooks list them 12‑to‑1—the same tier as far stronger pairings. Morikawa grades out 2nd in strokes‑gained metrics, but Kitayama’s recent form has cratered (outside the top‑50 in form rank), and the duo could not crack the top‑20 here last year. With 70 % of the field missing the cut, Polzin views their salary and outright number as dead money compared to similarly priced teams with two in‑form golfers.

Erik Polzin said Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are the clear top team in his 9‑to‑5 model and the easiest path to locking in a made cut this week. The defending champs rank 1st and 3rd in recent‑form average—Lowry has finished 20th or better in seven straight starts while McIlroy’s last‑seven average finish is 6th with two wins. Polzin added that past Zurich winners with course reps enjoy a noticeable edge and noted both players already proved the partnership works by winning in their first appearance last season after forging chemistry as Ryder Cup teammates. At +650 on DraftKings he called them the lone outright worth firing if you only make one bet, and in DFS he advocated eating the salary so you can "bank on four‑for‑six and maybe spike a 6/6" in this high‑attrition cut format where only 33 of 80 teams advance.

Erik Polzin recommended the Nick Watney / Charley Hoffman reunion as a cost‑saving plug‑in when jamming Rory/Lowry chalk. The veteran Californians have finished inside the top‑30 in three of the last four Zurich editions and rank top‑25 in his course‑history index. Watney has quietly gained strokes on approach in two of his last three starts, while Hoffman sits 15th in Polzin’s stat‑fit metric thanks to a resurgent driver (average 0.35 SG:OTT over eight events). Despite those arrows, DraftKings holds their salary near the basement and books hang triple‑digit outright odds. Polzin doesn’t see true win equity but projects a 55 % cut rate and likes them for +400 Top‑20 tickets and as the final click that unlocks a stars‑and‑scrubs DFS construction.

Polzin identified Dylan Wu and David Lipsky as one of the week’s best sub‑$7.5K DFS anchors. The Northwestern alumni have only one missed cut in six combined Zurich starts, highlighted by a top‑10 two seasons ago. Both players enter off back‑to‑back made cuts, and Wu sits 18th in strokes‑gained approach over his last 24 PGA rounds, while Lipski ranks 22nd in scrambling—a combo Polzin feels balances alternate‑shot safety and best‑ball scoring. His model gives the team a 62 % chance to make the weekend, the highest of any group priced below $7,600. At 70‑1 outright and +320 for Top‑20, Polzin likes pairing modest exposure on the betting card with 15‑20 % DFS ownership to leverage their overlooked floor.

Erik Polzin called the Takumi Kanaya / Ryo Hisatsune team an intriguing low‑owned dart. Kanaya’s elite driving accuracy (68 % fairways on the DP World Tour) sets up well for Friday foursomes, while Hisatsune brings explosive birdie rates—ranking top‑15 in birdies‑or‑better gained over his last 24 measured PGA rounds—which plays in Thursday best‑ball. Polzin admitted their lack of Zurich history is a concern but noted the pair’s extensive partnership experience in Japan’s amateur pipeline should ease communication. Priced near the salary floor, he projects a 50 % make‑cut chance and sees them as the type of complementary‑skill team that can spike a top‑10 if their putters cooperate. He will reserve exposure for large‑field GPPs and is eyeing long‑shot Top‑20 tickets north of +500.

Polzin advised fading the Mark Hubbard / Ryan Brehm duo despite their shiny Zurich resume (3rd last year, 27th three years ago). Both golfers enter in poor form—Hubbard has lost strokes tee‑to‑green in three straight starts, and Brehm ranks outside the top‑60 of Polzin’s recent‑form index. His current model slots the team 49th overall, making them the worst form‑adjusted squad among past Zurich podium finishers. With alternate‑shot magnifying ball‑striking weaknesses, Polzin sees little path to upside and labeled them dead money relative to similarly priced teams such as Wu/Lipski that arrive with positive momentum. He is crossing them off outright and DFS pools entirely.

Erik Polzin said the Adam Schenk / Tyler Duncan pairing is a salary‑relief option he will sprinkle into DFS builds. The former Purdue teammates have real Zurich reps—Schenk’s teams finished 27th and 11th three and four years ago, while Duncan logged a 34th two years back—giving them rare course knowledge for a roster spot priced near the floor. Although his blended model grades them as a bottom‑half outfit on raw strokes‑gained, Polzin believes the built‑in chemistry from their college days plus Schenk’s steady tee‑to‑green baseline (top‑35 in good‑drive percentage this season) bumps their make‑cut probability into the mid‑50 % range. In a week where only 33 of 80 teams advance, he likes using them as a low‑owned punt that unlocks Rory/Lowry lineups without completely sacrificing Saturday equity. Polzin is not firing outrights, but he is comfortable tossing them in Top‑20 parlays at numbers longer than +425.

Polzin recommended the Patrick Fishburn / Zac Blair combo as a low‑owned GPP dart that still carries legitimate upside. The former BYU teammates finished 4th here last year and arrive with encouraging form—each has two top‑30s in his last three PGA starts. Fishburn’s length (5th in driving distance) complements Blair’s precision iron game (11th strokes‑gained approach), a profile Polzin says is tailor‑made for the Thursday Four‑Ball birdie fest. With DraftKings pricing them near the salary floor and sportsbooks dangling 100‑1 outrights, Polzin suggested doubling exposure: low‑digit DFS ownership plus a fractional outright and +500 Top‑20 tickets create asymmetric returns if the Cougar connection clicks again.

Polzin flagged defending champs Davis Riley and Nick Hardy as a mispriced sub‑$8k DFS cornerstone and viable 40‑1 outright. The duo won here last year after finishing 28th in 2022, demonstrating sustainable chemistry. Riley brings six consecutive made cuts and top‑20 irons over his last 24 rounds, while Hardy’s mediocre recent finishes mask a strokes‑gained profile that still sits top‑25 in approach and top‑30 off the tee. Polzin believes the variance of alternate shot is mitigated by their familiarity with TPC Louisiana’s strategic lines, forecasting a 15 % win probability—well above market expectation—and calling them a leverage play when the field jams Rory/Lowry chalk.

After initially glossing over them, Polzin circled back and called the Nate Lashley / Hayden Springer tandem a “good click” for balanced DFS rosters and conservative betting cards. Lashley rides four straight made cuts with positive strokes‑gained approach in every start, while Springer has five consecutive weekends and sits 6th in total stat fit thanks to elite driving accuracy. Lashley has a prior Zurich made cut, providing at least minimal course data. Polzin now projects the duo for a 61 % advancement rate and sees value in +350 Top‑20 tickets given the market still prices them alongside far riskier teams.

Polzin labeled Danny Walker and Ryan Gerard a priority salary‑relief stack, particularly for First‑Round Leader and Top‑20 markets. Both reside and practice in Florida—Walker in Jupiter, Gerard in Jacksonville—and Polzin believes shared Korn Ferry travel has already built the chemistry needed for foursomes. Gerard ranks 7th in pure stat fit and top‑15 in recent‑form average, flashing elite birdie‑or‑better rates, while Walker’s volatility comes with spike‑week upside. The tandem’s sub‑$7,200 DraftKings price allows Rory/Lowry builds, and books are still hanging 80‑1 outrights with +475 Top‑20s. Polzin likes pairing them with chalkier, high‑floor teams to unlock tournament‑winning roster construction without sacrificing realistic weekend equity.

Polzin spotlighted Chandler Phillips and Jacob Bridgman as one of the best sub‑$7k salary savers for DFS cash builds and balanced outright cards. The former college rivals finished 19th here as rookies last season, giving them rare course familiarity for their price tier. Bridgman rates inside the field’s top‑40 overall in the 9‑to‑5 composite thanks to above‑average approach play, while Phillips holds his own across the board and sits top‑25 in good‑drive percentage. Polzin projects a 58 % cut‑made probability—high for this salary band—and likes sprinkling a long‑shot Top‑20 ticket at numbers north of +450, noting the team’s cohesion in alternate shot should mitigate Thursday nerves.

Polzin advised crossing the Erik Van Rooyen / Christiaan Bezuidenhout team off betting cards and DFS builds entirely. Van Rooyen is coming off a missed‑cut blow‑up that included a bottom‑five strokes‑gained round‑one, and Bezuidenhout has lost strokes tee‑to‑green in five of his last six starts, tumbling outside the top‑60 of Polzin’s recent‑form ranks. With no meaningful Zurich track record and zero complementary stat profiles—Bezuidenhout’s short‑game reliability is negated by EVR’s wild driver in alternate shot—Polzin sees no usable floor or ceiling. He moved on quickly, saying the number of playable mid‑range teams this week makes forcing this South African tandem a –EV decision.

Erik Polzin said the Alex Smalley / Joseph Bramlett pairing is still worth sprinkling in DFS pools and betting boards for a Top‑20 despite Smalley’s flat finish last week. Smalley grades as an elite statistical fit in his 9‑to‑5 model—top‑10 in both strokes‑gained approach and good‑drive percentage over the last 50 rounds—while Bramlett’s baseline length provides Best‑Ball scoring juice. Both golfers own reps at TPC Louisiana, which Polzin views as a quiet edge in a format where only 33 of 80 teams survive the cut. Because the industry sentiment cooled after Smalley’s disappointing result, Polzin expects softer pricing and plus‑money Top‑20 odds that let you gain exposure without chasing outright volatility.

Polzin tagged the Jhonattan Vegas / Kevin Yu tandem as a pure large‑field GPP play. Both players own explosive scoring profiles—Yu ranks 3rd in the field in birdies‑or‑better gained while Vegas still flashes top‑10 driving distance—but their form is erratic, and neither grades top‑25 in his safety projection. Polzin advised keeping exposure under 10% but likes their ceiling if the event turns into a Thursday best‑ball shootout. He is steering clear of outrights yet sees them as the kind of boom‑or‑bust pair that can win a Milly Maker style DFS contest if they catch fire.

Polzin endorsed Doug Ghim and Chan Kim as a value mid‑range stack. Kim has posted back‑to‑back top‑30s and three straight cuts, ranking 12th in recent form after leading the Corrales model a week ago. Ghim followed a top‑20 with consistent ball‑striking and sits 14th in approach over 24 rounds. The pair finished 28th here in 2023 and share both Texas collegiate roots and Korean heritage, factors Polzin believes bolster foursomes chemistry. At 50‑to‑1 they rate as the best price in his balanced card, and he forecast a 65% cut‑made chance with top‑10 upside, labeling them a core play in non‑stars‑and‑scrubs DFS constructions.

Erik Polzin called the Rico Hoey / Sam Ryder pairing one of the "easier clicks" under $8,400 on DraftKings and worth a sprinkle at 45‑to‑1 outright. Hoey ranks 5th in pure stat fit—top‑10 in good‑drive percentage and approach over his last 50 rounds—and 16th in the overall team model despite a few clunker finishes. Ryder brings streaky birdie runs and solid course familiarity, owning three made cuts here outside of last year’s MC. Polzin likes their blend for alternate‑shot because Hoey keeps the ball in play while Ryder’s putter can heat up in best‑ball. He projects a 60% make‑cut probability and a realistic top‑5 finish, making them an ideal leverage combo in balanced DFS builds.

Polzin urged caution with the Fitzpatrick brothers despite finishes of 11th and 19th in prior trips to TPC Louisiana. Matt Fitzpatrick’s strokes‑gained ball‑striking has fallen outside the field’s top‑40 over his last 24 rounds, and his average finish across the past six PGA starts is 46th. While Alex arrives in slightly better form, the duo still grade just 18th overall in Polzin’s blended model and are priced well ahead of similarly ranked teams. He labeled them GPP‑only exposure for narrative seekers and advised avoiding outright bets given the limited win ceiling when the older Fitzpatrick’s swing looks this out of sync.

Polzin highlighted Garrick Higgo and Ryan Fox as a ceiling‑chasing play at both 30‑to‑1 outrights and sub‑$9k DFS salaries. Higgo enters with seven consecutive made cuts and last week’s win, ranking 4th in recent‑form average and 5th in Zurich course history in the 9‑to‑5 model. Fox, while an older globetrotting pro, still sits mid‑pack in strokes‑gained tee‑to‑green and offers enough steadiness to keep them afloat during Friday foursomes. Polzin concedes the typical ‘post‑win hangover’ concern but argues the team format eases that mental drain. He has them graded as a top‑10 overall team and a perfect GPP pivot off chalky Rory/Lowry builds, projecting 25% win equity relative to price.

Erik Polzin reversed his earlier fade and said the Adam Hadwin / Nick Taylor Presidents Cup tandem is now playable in both DFS cash builds and balanced betting cards. He acknowledged his model still downgrades them because Hadwin’s recent strokes‑gained numbers have slid and Taylor has logged tougher fields, but their Zurich track record—2nd and 10th in two appearances—carries extra weight in a week where only 33 of 80 teams see Saturday. Polzin stressed that long‑time Canadian chemistry matters in alternate‑shot and that their mid‑range DraftKings salary lets you avoid the chalky Rory tier while keeping realistic top‑10 equity. He is not pounding an outright but is comfortable using them as a last click in single‑entry DFS or in conservative Top‑20 parlays.

Polzin warned that the Canadian Presidents Cup tandem of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor is more name value than substance this week. Hadwin’s ball‑striking numbers have cratered, and Taylor’s recent results are skewed by strong finishes on easier setups. Their composite rating sits outside the top‑15, and Polzin’s model flags both for sub‑average strokes‑gained across the last 24 rounds. Unless you are simply betting on long‑time familiarity to carry them, he sees little reason to pay the mid‑range salary or click them in outrights when sharper plays populate the same price tier.

At a mid‑$8k salary range, Matt Wallace and Thorbjorn Olesen offer cap relief without punting upside. The European duo finished 36th here last season and both boast solid course histories individually. Olesen enters with seven straight made cuts and the 5th‑best recent‑form rank in the field; Wallace’s all‑around game profiles well for alternate‑shot pressure. Polzin likes deploying them in fair‑balanced DFS builds where you still want win equity but cannot afford the Rory tier. With outright odds hovering near 40‑to‑1, he sees them as a correlated DFS/Betting stack for players seeking differentiated exposure below the marquee names.

Polzin likes the Aaron Rai / Sahith Theegala tandem as a sneaky outright at 25‑to‑1. Rai ranks 1st in good‑drive percentage and top‑5 in strokes‑gained approach in the 9‑to‑5 stat suite, providing a fairway‑finding floor. Theegala brings the volatile scoring punch and a top‑tier short game, plus five consecutive made cuts despite middling finishes. Both have logged reps at TPC Louisiana, and Polzin sees their games meshing perfectly: Rai keeps them in play during alternate shot, while Theegala can string birdies in best‑ball. The team grades inside the model’s theoretical win bucket, making them an attractive click for both outrights and DFS exposure.

Although Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge own solid individual form—Hoge has seven straight made cuts and grades 5th in form—Polzin still labeled the duo a pass at 28‑to‑1. His blended model slots them only ninth overall, and Horschel missed the Zurich cut last year when his game was in disarray. Polzin admitted the partnership could "win on vibes" but argued the number is far too short given the field strength and the fact that superior teams sit in the same odds band. Unless you are building a narrative‑driven GPP roster that actively embraces risk, Polzin recommends fading the Dirty‑Bird‑Dance pairing.

Polzin gave the green light to betting Taylor Moore / Wyndham Clark at 25‑to‑1, stressing that their ceiling outweighs the spotty form. Moore owns a 4th and 7th in two of his three Zurich appearances and, in Polzin’s words, is actually "coming in a better golfer now than either of those years." Clark can spray it in alternate shot, but his overall strokes‑gained profile still lands him inside the field’s top‑10. Both golfers rank top‑10 in the 9‑to‑5 composite and have enough course reps to mitigate round‑two foursomes variance. Polzin expects the pairing to benefit from Moore’s tidy iron play and Clark’s explosive scoring in best‑ball, giving them legitimate win equity at a mid‑tier price.

Erik Polzin advised fading the Ben Griffin / Andrew Novak pairing in both betting markets and DFS. DraftKings slapped a 10‑k salary on the team even though they own four combined missed cuts at TPC Louisiana and have never finished better than 23rd here. Polzin noted that Novak’s two solid results the past month are propping up the price, while Griffin grades just 23rd in his blended model. With no meaningful chemistry beyond shared southeast roots and both ranking outside the top‑40 in recent‑form SG, Polzin called them a clear overpay relative to similarly priced teams that actually project to see the weekend.

While Robert MacIntyre and Thomas Detry rate 4th in his team composite, Polzin warned the number masks serious risk. Detry’s recent‑form rank is 55th—the worst of any top‑10 team—after a string of missed cuts, and MacIntyre has alternated good and poor finishes for two months. Detry’s solid Zurich track record came when he entered in better form, and their chemistry is limited to being fellow Europeans rather than long‑time partners. Polzin recommends steering clear in both DFS and outrights unless building a contrarian GPP lineup that accepts high MC probability.