Zurich Classic Tips: Back Hoge and McNealy to go well in New Orleans

This week's PGA Tour offering is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana, where 80 two-man teams will be battling it out for glory in Avondale.

American pair Nicky Hardy and Davis Riley lifted the trophy last year, recording a two-stroke victory after finishing on a tournament team record of -30, and they are aiming to become the first duo to successfully retain the title.

World number two Rory McIlroy will be making his debut after deciding to partner Irishman Shane Lowry, while 2022 winners Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay lead the betting as they aim for a second success here

World number 59 Tom Hoge has been playing consistent golf this year and he heads to Louisiana on the back of a tied-18th finish at the RBC Heritage, his fifth top-20 result of the campaign.

The 34-year-old American has also racked up two top-10s, at Pebble Beach and the Genesis Invitational, and he has proven himself to be a good teammate in the past after partnering Sahith Theegala to win the 2022 QBE Shootout.

Hoge has joined forces with compatriot Maverick McNealy for this edition and the latter has been finding his groove over recent months, having taken June to November off last year to recover from a shoulder injury.

Still chasing his professional breakthrough, the 28-year-old was T6 at the Phoenix Open in February and T9 at The Players Championship in March, so it's good to see his game is stacking up in the high-profile events.

Playing with Hoge, who has had a couple of solid results here with a 10th and 13th, McNealy could finally land his maiden PGA title with the help of his fellow American.

Billy Horschel has a fondness for TPC Louisiana, having landed this title on his own in 2013 before teaming up with Scott Piercy to claim the spoils in 2018.

The 37-year-old American, who was also second in 2022 when partnering Sam Burns, arrives with renewed vigour after he returned to the winners' circle for the first time since 2022 on Sunday at the Puntacana Championship.

Horschel has chosen to team up with fellow University of Florida alum Tyson Alexander this year and the latter has shown strong form at times this season, with his best result a T14 at the Texas Open.

With the experienced Horschel next to him, Alexander could find himself battling for his first PGA Tour title this week.

Further down the betting is the Swedish/Spanish combination of Vincent Norrman and Jorge Campillo and they could be worth a look in the each-way market.

Norrman impressed on his Zurich debut last year, finishing ninth when playing alongside Matthias Schwab, and opting to partner the reliable Campillo could prove to be a masterstroke.

Campillo had a confidence-boosting T18 result at the Puntacana Championship last time out and he will be eager to keep the momentum going in Louisiana.