The Drive: Zurich Classic Preview | Golf Picks & Analysis with Geoff Fienberg and Andy Lack

In our Zurich Classic preview, we’ll break down the best picks for the tournament with insight and analysis from Andy and Geoff as we go in search of another profitable week on the PGA Tour.

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[Music]
[Applause]
we are back with another edition of the
drive here at oddschecker.com I am Jeff
feberg with me is Andy lack we are in
New Orleans for the Zurich Classic one
of the more unorthodox events on the
season Andy um in the past I would kind
of champ in the event just as part of
the theme of they play golf every week
it’s like a circus it’s like Monday
Night Raw they could do whatever they
wanted with a handful of these events
and really there’s nothing we should
complain about but now I complain a
little because once they took away match
play then like I don’t I’m like like
they took away the Holy Grail of
switching it up so that really annoyed
me and Miss still miss match play but
it’s the team event and I remember my
friend Andy here brought one home last
year uh Davis Riley and Nick Hardy was
the team it’s it’s been an interesting
dichotomy of winners uh that’s sort of
one of the only ones I feel like that
actually came from the middle of the
board everything else historically has
been like super chalky or or really out
of the long shot range just hyper
curious how Andy L goes about you know
capping something like this cuz you’re
so data driven and this is really like
from the gut you’re taking two guys you
know you’re just hoping maybe if there’s
a guy who like struggles getting over
the Finish Line you’re like oh he’s got
a partner that could help him you know
that sort of thing plays into my head
but I’m a lot more like gut and you know
golfer based and number based than you
are so like what is your thought process
for something like this yeah man I you
know I’ve shockingly had a lot of
success at this event I’ve actually hit
two in a row here um I’m not going to
Vic lap 8 to one Xander Klay the prior
year but 8 to1 retrospectively ky’s last
win uh no he won BMW in 2020 2023 but I
I point taken he needs to win more golf
tournaments he won BMW at uh Wilmington
uh Wilmington Country Club am I
incorrect about that I can I can uh I
can check and let you Phil Buster for a
second later in the Pod but um yeah I I
have I have surprisingly had a lot of
success at this event I’m going for
three in a row at the Zurich which I
think would probably be my my greatest
accomplishment as a as a golf better uh
I I have developed a formula for this
week
um that basically correlates each team’s
Cor corresponding skill sets and takes
an aggregate model ranking for each Duo
um and I’ve had a lot of success
trusting that model with that being said
um you know I would not besmer anyone
for just going sorely surely off of
Vibes this week but um if you want some
datadriven analysis for for this week I
I can give you some um and uh hopefully
we can we can keep the train rolling
this week with uh with three in the row
at at at the Zurich yeah so but what is
the secret sauce like just like guys got
to like each other one guy’s playing
well one guy can lift the other guy over
the line or it’s just course fit like
there’s so many pairings where you’re
like you know that could you like they
seem kind of Boomer bust how well they
could work how well they could not work
and then there’s paing like yeah that’s
a pretty even Keel uh parent but
actually getting someone across the
Finish Line doesn’t seem that easy you
were right but you did get the year
wrong uh C no he won after the Zurich he
won a few months he won to end that
season at the BMW so
2022 um sorry but I guess point stands
can’t you know he’s got Xander and
Canley they’ve got a win and Xander
actually off of that win I believe was
able to get a little hot that summer he
won The Travelers and the Scottish open
so I nothing since yeah and I I joked on
Twitter today that you know they’re in a
tough spot this week because if they win
it’s like low hanging fruit jokes and if
they lose it just probably creates
another lwh hanging fruit joke um that
being said I do support that they’re
here they like to play it as a team
there are so very few high-end golfers
that showed up to this it seems like a
drunken night may have convinced Rory
and Shane to do this um so I support any
of the high-end golfers that show up to
events that the schedule just dictates
are very much beneath them like I’m not
trying to insult it but it’s the
schedule that sort of dictates uh that
sort of thing we can get right into it
though here Andy it’s the Zurich
oddschecker.com now use that grid we use
it weekly I gotta say this morning I had
a feeling and I said it and the grid
this week feels as important as any
other week of the year because it took a
long time for books to post numbers
today and there is a lot of books
there’s a lot of um all over the place
with the same guys you know it it the
books really don’t know what to make of
this and you could argue once you sort
of get past 60 70 to one the guys at 80
to one feel like the exact same as the
guys at 150 to one in terms of their
chance to win and maybe you play into
that variance but we teased did I teased
you a couple times long enough it’s the
top of the board it’s the SC oh the Old
Scotty sheffler price is what you could
play pantley and chaffle at at 5 to one
the best number Us in that grid over at
DraftKings if that’s something you’re
into I mean they get to play their own
ball they get to play together it’s hard
to imagine they’re not in a chance to
win this thing but maybe you want to
look down the board um Lowry and and
Rory I mean they could get scary if they
really get on a te I think they’re going
to have a great time uh play some great
golf but I’d argue maybe there could be
some value in sahi and Willie maybe
they’re just so likable that people want
to bet them together and kittama mor
Cowell round out what’s inside 20 to one
and the um they seem like they could be
a team that like really suit each other
especially with Mora putting well right
now so anything in front of 20 have your
interest in an event that has
historically been kind of chalk yeah can
I derail us for one second anywhere you
w to go
buddy if um Scotty Sheffer was playing
this event with Tony Romo who’s a plus
who’s a who’s a plus 2.3 handicap out of
Dallas National what would you make
their
number okay Scotty with Romo who are
best friends and have played 500 rounds
together and you get two best ball and
two alternate shot and Tony Romo is a
plus 2.3 out of Dallas National which by
the way guys like Eric Cole are playing
with something called Russ Cochran who’s
66 years old and has it top 10 on the
champions tour this year so before you
shoot me down in flames okay what’s
Eric’s number just for context this I I
I I’d have I’d have to I’d have to look
on that but um I don’t even know if I
mean there’s so many weird players in
the field this week that I did that I
don’t think have PGA Tour cards that
like this is a bit I say this in just I
I understand that Tony Romo could not
make it on the PGA tour but two rounds
of best ball with the best player in the
world um I wonder what their odds would
be this week I’m not smart enough but I
would think I don’t know you’d probably
still get action at like 20 to1 18 to1
right I think and for context found it I
mean like I said the books are all over
the place this week so the grid seems
more valuable than ever over at odds
Checker high water mark of a 500 to one
as low as 150 to one when that Cole
cocking combo uh sounds like he’s
friends with his dad or something I
don’t have a clue I’m making that up uh
but I did give you those names at the
top Andy as I mentioned it has sort of
been very kind of chalk here in the past
do do any of these teams do enough for
you is they’re just a to set it and
forget it sort of pairing for Andy’s
betting card yeah I I think I’m a little
priced out of can’t liander although I
think they’re going to be there um like
if you just W to kind of excel this week
sit back and relax and you’re more of a
casual better that just wants to bet
five to one on a team that will likely
be relevant on Sunday think you could do
a lot the same strategy that I said with
Scotty at the Masters like if you’re not
in the LA term Roi game I think you
could do a lot worse than hey I want to
have some stake in this event on Sunday
afternoon because I got nothing else
going on I think you could do a lot
worse than Xander can’t lay 5 to one um
although that’s not for me this week I
will say Jeff I I just spent some time
speaking to will zorus caddy this
morning in my podcast Joel stock um I
think the zalatoris sahit pairing is
going to be pretty deadly this week
those guys are super super comfortable
together I walked nine holes with them
on Tuesday at Augusta in a practice
round they have really good banter and
camaraderie they’re they’re best buds um
and I think their skill sets complement
each other beautifully as well as seah
just came off a um a runnerup finish at
the Heritage this week so he’s playing
great zot Taurus obviously finished top
10 at the Masters as well and speaking
to zotor is caddy like they’re ready to
go like they’re fired up for this week
no rest so um we we’re just pegging the
ground on Thursday and we’re going to go
try and win this as best buds so I
started my card at 40 this week with an
all Canadian Duo but if I was going
under 20 um I would I would absolutely
look at zalot torus and seah yeah so I
mentioned myself uh that that would be
like my team of choice but I don’t know
whether I’m betting it like I know
they’re super talented and they both
seem like they’re due to win uh I don’t
know whether I was betting it because of
a likability factor or it was like um I
was leaning into the likability factor
or if the number was like really unfair
but if I did have to make a move at the
highend I would actually feel like I
would trust them so I agree with you and
everyone uh check out uh at ADP lack
Sports there’ll be a link of his
interview with willly Z’s caddy there
moving moving down the board we have the
uh hoard twins we have the Fitzpatrick
Brothers we have the first leg of a
Canadian team Connors and pendri um I
wondered if Andy would be investing in
hogi and McNeely because Andy sometimes
likes to bet on the team that I wonder
if the books are like not wanting us to
bet yeah right this one it’s a 25 to1
seems like a consensus but there is a 28
on the odds Checker grid this is a team
I went to bed thinking I wanted to bet
uh but the number didn’t you know hasn’t
hasn’t gotten me there but this middle
range filled with a ton of a ton of
options Andy though you teased it you’ve
gone with the the duo that finished
second place here a year ago that might
want to you know show international team
captain Mike Weir something a couple
times this week potentially for what
could happen at Royal Montreal at the
President’s Cup this summer but it seems
like a more than fair number on a
pairing that has worked well together
and you could just see them being so
consistent in hadwin and Taylor I I was
shocked that they were 40 to1 this week
they they finished second as a Duo last
year uh both of them raised their
Baseline tremendously in in Easy scoring
conditions they’ve had a ton success on
overseed Bermuda Nick Taylor has already
won this year at TPC Scottdale that’s a
TPC style course with overseed Bermuda
Adam hadwin is the number one player in
Strokes game total at PGA West that’s a
driver heavy Pete die course with
overseed Bermuda this is just such a
good course fit for them and they seem
to be they seem to have a bit of
chemistry together as well obviously
proving that they can play well at this
event in the past so 40 to1 that would
be my that’s my pick to win this week is
is Taylor and hadwin AD Andy trying to
get his three Pat at the Zurich and
again I have seen this number kind of
all over the board uh as books are slow
to release this morning as it’s hard for
them to sort of have a consensus on you
know because it’s really hard it is a
seems like a really hard thing to cap um
you know I don’t like to give bookmakers
any you know leeway but it does and this
is high as 40 it’s still 40 to1 over at
DraftKings I’ve seen it as low as like
25 I’ve seen it flirting around 30 so uh
Andy shouting it over at DraftKings for
that 40 to1 were there any other teams
Andy in this like 40 to 60 to one range
that could um you know potentially have
your interest I could read them off but
I’d just be naming names and you’re kind
of just I mean we’re already I don’t
want to say darts but this whole vibe
for this tournament feels like uh Dart
throws I do like the friends angle I
don’t think we’ve ever seen a team win
together uh just running them through my
head that like there wasn’t a
predetermined friendship I know the ROM
Palmer pairing is interesting because it
came about due to like a caddy bat that
was lost but um there was a friendship
developed by the time that they won
because they didn’t win it the first
year but by the time they did win it
they were good buddies I’ve never seen a
team win like that we didn’t know were
friends and I mean that yeah um I mean
it speaks to the to Xander Klay success
that’s why I feel pretty good about um
hadwin Taylor this week is they’ they’ve
proven they can do it in this format and
have some modum of chemistry at least
and and friendship um I bet a bunch like
I have a full card on Monday morning um
starting at 40 and going all the way to
140 um and in full disclosure I have no
idea if any of these players have
relationships with each other this is
just all pure numbers Play Just based on
my model which has worked out well for
me in the past so I can just run through
all the guys really quickly I made one
and I’m sure you have it so I’ll get
mine out of the way and it was pretty
much based on the fact that me and you
bet this guy a ton in the summer and
probably through the fall and I bet his
partner last week and the last couple
weeks and he’s looked good I played that
SMY Schmid pairing at a 100 interesting
that’s actually not on my list I thought
you were going I thought you were going
Davis Thompson that’s also our guy
that’s another guy but okay so I I
interrupted you there uh I gave my bet
that’s in but I’m all over that 40 to1
um pairing as well so Lay It lay it on
me here Andy like read them out Doug gim
Chan Kim 45 to1 Bo little Baseline
reasoning for that for all of them
quickly like a complimentary skill sets
gim is an elite iron player at a second
Shot Golf Course um raises his Baseline
tremendously on overseed Bermuda Chan
Cam’s quietly having a a pretty good
season as well um Bo hosler or Sam Ryder
any interest there as a Duo that could
totally catch fire with the putter you
know that’s one of those that if I bet
I’m just like
they both would struggle to get over the
line alone maybe together they could
power up and get over the line um but
okay I mean I I’m a fan of both I kind
of hadn’t thought about that pairing yet
so i’mna give you I’m gonna give you a
ton you haven’t thought of Thompson
Novak uh great iron players yeah 6 6 to
one what about Ben Griff and Taylor
Montgomery as like a team that could
just drain a million pots on Bermuda all
the yeah lights out they’ll they’ll hit
every single one oh I did make another
bet that I forgot right here tell tell
me who’d you bet uh Taylor Moore mat n
Smith yep yeah speaking my language what
are they they were 65 to one 65 to1 and
that’s another one friends that was kind
of all over the map as low as as low as
um
40 as high as 65 I thought bet 365
posted even a little higher this morning
but I didn’t get that but happy to have
a 65 uh to one on Moore and N Smith so
I’m reading a bit of of Andy’s mail but
uh yeah keep firing them and um Chandler
Phillips Jacob Bridgeman 100 to one
listen just rided out incredibly highly
in my model I’ll leave it at that um I
don’t think I’ve ever bet actually I’m
pretty familiar with Chandy Phil’s game
but just another pure numbers play for
me and then Justin Su and Rico Hoy at a
140 to1 Hoy is an elite oh being a
little generous with Elite Ho’s a really
good ball Striker and sa is a really
good putter um and I think their skill
set complement each other uh pretty
pretty beautifully so Justin sa Rico
Hoy 14 to one um yeah my plate is full
on a Monday afternoon uh of Zurich
Classic week uh but I I would not bmer
anyone for saying hey I’m taking a break
this week but if you want some some
datadriven plays um that’s what the
model shot out for me is is those teams
yeah I can tell you I um I’ve been
circling around
that’s Rico pairing I’ll just leave it
at that um and I don’t know whether I
mean obviously love the way Rico’s been
scoring and you kind of been waiting for
it to happen with so I was in Vegas out
last week uh he was uh warming up on the
Range beside me at Summerland and uh you
know so there that’s almost like when we
got a little fineberg Mojo uh hopefully
in Justin’s irons hopefully I don’t take
anything away from his putter but that
was one that um seemed a little high and
some of those names you’re right I don’t
know much about the pairing a lot of
these are agents though based right I
mean that’s what you hear yeah have the
same agent and the agent
agents AG CAD CAD being friends yeah
that’s sometimes how something like this
goes down so um yeah for me it is that
the uh that all Canadian pairing at 40
to1 that Taylor Moore uh n Smith pairing
uh SMY and Schmid at 100 but um Andy
made some com you know Andy made a great
case on a few of them I’m going to swim
around and starting at 40 I like to
think I can add a couple to my to my
card don’t know how much time I’m going
to give the event this week but it’s PJ
Tour golf I I love it I’ll sweat it
responsibly always Andy quickly rapid
fire that that lovely card you just
dropped on
us uh hadwin Taylor 40 gim Kim 45 hosler
Rider 50 uh n smithmore
65 Thompson Novak 65 Griffin Montgomery
66 Bridgeman Phillips 100 saah Hoy 140
don’t say we aren’t grinding out there
in the streets of Zurich week there it
is Andy oh he’s been having his Zurich
success hopefully that can continue
we’re out of here for the drive we’ll be
back next week at odds Checker Byron
Nelson Classic smash that like I guess
we’re on the road to another Scotty
major peace
[Music]