The PGA Tour’s annual stop in the Big Easy for the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans may have lacked a star-studded field, but the teams who made the weekend cut put on quite the show Sunday afternoon.
There’s rarely a dull moment with alternate shot golf, and the final round at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana, proved just that. Six teams were in the mix down the stretch, including defending champions Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, but it was Nick Hardy and Davis Riley who came away with the win and set a tournament record at 30 under.
Hardy/Riley took the outright lead at 29 under with a birdie on No. 16, leaving Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler to chase. Hardy/Riley then doubled down as if they were gambling on a bayou riverboat with another birdie on No. 17 to take a two-shot lead.
A par on the 18th sealed the deal for an impressive 7-under 65 in the final round, the second best round of the day after runners-up Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor fired a 9-under 63 to finish at 28 under.
Clark/Hossler removed themselves from contention with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17, right where Hardy/Riley made their move. The pair made birdie on the last to finish third at 27 under, one shot clear of Matthew NeSmith and Taylor Moore and Schauffele/Cantlay, who both finished T-4 at 26 under.
