Zurich Classic DFS picks 2026: This sleeper team has plenty of upside

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Johnnie Izquierdo

The reigning champions return looking to defend their title, and both players are trending in the right direction. After missing three straight cuts, Griffin has rebounded with three consecutive top-35 finishes. He also appears to have corrected his early-season struggles off the tee, gaining strokes in each of his past four starts. Novak is finding his form as well, building momentum with a T-14 at the Valero three weeks ago and a T-16 at last week’s RBC Heritage. Together, they rank as the fifth-best putting duo in the field and have already proven their strong on-course chemistry.

Play: Ryan Gerard & Sudarshan Yellamaraju, $9,500

When his former college teammate and original partner for this event, David Ford, was forced to withdraw due to injury, Ryan Gerard may have landed an even better course fit in the birdie-making phenom Sudarshan Yellamaraju. The tour rookie has been outstanding through the early months of 2026, recording just one missed cut to go along with five top-17 finishes. He ranks eighth in the Zurich field in ball-striking and overall has gained strokes off the tee and on approach in 75 percent of his rounds this year.

Gerard brings plenty to the table as well, currently ranked 33rd in the world and sitting fourth in this field in strokes gained/approach. As a team, they profile extremely well, ranking first in Birdie or Better percentage, second in recent form, second in par-5 scoring, fifth in proximity from 200+ yards and 10th in putting.

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Fade: Marco Penge & Matt Wallace, $9,100

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Orlando Ramirez

The Zurich Classic will mark Penge’s seventh consecutive week of competition, and fatigue may be starting to show. Across his past two events, he has lost a combined 12.6 strokes, including a concerning -9.7 on approach. As a team, the duo ranks 53rd in the field in Birdie or Better rate over their last 36 rounds and 38th in proximity from the key 200+ yard range. Wallace brings experience at this event with five prior appearances, though he has yet to finish better than 18th. This will be the first time the two Englishmen team up in a competitive setting.

$8,000+ range Play: Matt McCarty & Mac Meissner, $8,700

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Buda Mendes

McCarty and Meissner bring both a high floor and plenty of upside this week at TPC Louisiana. They rank 11th in recent form, 13th in putting and sit second in the entire field in par-5 scoring over the past year. McCarty, in particular, continues to impress with his well-rounded game, highlighted by a T-24 at the Masters and a T-12 at last week’s RBC Heritage.

Fade: Alex Smalley & Hayden Springer, $8,100

In a team event like this, a pairing is only as strong as its weakest link—especially in alternate shot on Friday and Sunday. While Smalley is one of the best ball-strikers in the field, Springer has struggled this season, returning to the Korn Ferry Tour where he has lost strokes in five of his past seven starts and recorded just one top-20 finish.

$7,000+ range Play: Tony Finau & Max Greyserman, $7,900

There may not be another option below $8K that offers the same level of upside as this duo. They complement each other extremely well, with Greyserman excelling off the tee and on the greens, while Finau brings elite approach play at his best and remains one of the top around-the-green players in the world. Although both have shown inconsistency recently, they still rank seventh in the field in Birdie or Better rate and possess the scoring ability to separate from the pack. Each also brings valuable experience at this event, with both recording top-six finishes here.

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$6,000+ range Play: Zac Blair & Patrick Fishburn, $6,600

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Chris Graythen

The Utah natives rank 28th in my model for this week. They have partnered in this event for the last two years, finishing fourth in 2024. Fishburn’s consistency off the tee combined with Blair’s elite iron play should give this team a fighting chance to be in the mix on Sunday.

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Ron Klos (@PGASplits101 on X) is a PGA Tour data analyst for Betsperts Golf.