GPP Data Review: Zurich Classic

I know I’m in the minority, but the Zurich Classic does something for me. Part of it is most definitely the edge that the DFS contests present with most of the industry taking the event off. But also, the golf itself, specifically Sunday, provides such a unique element that is quite captivating. There are of course the top teams that approach this week as Ryder Cup preparation or even sometimes they do it to simply get a breath of fresh air from the monotony of Tour play. But for the rest of the field, this event matters significantly and the pressure of being in contention adds an extra element when your partner’s career trajectory could be on your shoulders. For Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, they had already cemented themselves as legit players week in and week out, but that elusive first victory earns them so much time to cement their status. Another two and a half years of guaranteed play on the PGA Tour can really change the entire outlook of what their next decade looks like, and it’s super cool to see them do it as a duo.

Beyond the winners, the top five was full of players and teams that needed that type of effort to right their seasons. Both Hojgaard twins were outside of the FedEx Cup top 100 and David Lipsky/Dylan Wu both were outside the top 175 desperately needing a week to turn around 2025. Frankie Capan III was partnered up with Jake Knapp, who has his winner status from 2024, and unfortunately lost out on his chance at victory with a water ball of his own on 17. Then the duo of Taylor Dickson, PGA Tour rookie, and Trace Crowe were the others who really caught the eye. Crowe is a full-time KFT player right now while Dickson has just one top-40 result in 2025. You could see the emotional release when they made the cut on Friday, and to play like they did over the weekend was incredibly cool.