Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman win Zurich Classic of New Orleans April 25, 2021
Cameron Smith drains winning par putt in playoff to win 2021 Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in a playoff that capped a tight and tense final round Sunday.
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Smith and Leishman won with a par on their second trip up the par-5 18th after Oosthuizen pushed his tee shot into the water and narrowly missed an 11-foot putt for bogey.
The Australians forced the playoff by shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate-shot play at the PGA TOUR s lone regular-season team event. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel began the round with a one-stroke lead, but shot a 71 with three pars and two bogeys.
The Australians forced the playoff by shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate-shot play at the PGA Tour s lone regular-season team event. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel began the round with a one-stroke lead, but shot a 71 with three pars and two bogeys.
It s Smith s third career victory second at the Zurich team event and best result since tying for second at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Masters last November. It s also was his sixth top 10 since the current tour season started last October.
Smith s last victory came at the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii.
It was Leishman s sixth career victory, his best result since tying for fifth at the Masters this month and his first win since the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open.
Peter Uihlein & Richy Werenski birdie No. 18 at Zurich Classic
The cold weather state of Massachusetts has plenty of rich golf tradition (think Francis Ouimet, 1913, and Paul Azinger was born there), but it doesn’t turn out too many professionals on the PGA TOUR. Two Bay State natives decided to team up at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and had some pretty strong results.
Peter Uihlein, hot off his victory on the
Korn Ferry Tour last week, joined up with Richy Werenski to tie the low round in Sunday’s foursomes format at the Zurich Classic. Even with a bogey at the par-3 17th hole, the pair made six birdies and would shoot 5-under 67 to climb 15 spots, all the way into third place at 19-under 269. (They would miss a playoff by one shot.) Only Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay matched their 67 on Sunday, which represented the low foursomes round of the week at Zurich.
AVONDALE, La. (AP) Cameron Smith s aggressiveness on the TPC Louisiana s water-lined 16th hole appeared to doom his team s chances of winning the Zurich Classic when his 294-yard drive bounced off an embankment near the green and into the water.
Smith s teammate, fellow Australian Marc Leishman, then flipped the script with a deft chip.
Leishman made birdie after a penalty drop in the rough, about 23 feet from the pin, pulling him and Smith into a tie with the South African duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel that wasn t broken until the Aussies won the first playoff hole Sunday. (Smith) hit a really good shot. It was the right club and the right shot, just drifted a little in the wind, Leishman said. I was just concentrating on my game and I was lucky enough to be on the up slope.
Brett Martel
Charl Schwartzel, of South Africa, hits off the third tee during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Sunday, April 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) April 25, 2021 - 5:03 PM
AVONDALE, La. - Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel to win the Zurich Classic in a playoff that capped a tight and tense final round Sunday.
Smith and Leishman won with a par on their second trip up the par-5 18th after Oosthuizen pushed his tee shot into the water and narrowly missed an 11-foot putt for par.