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SPORTS Monday 30 april 2018
Horschel, Piercy win Zurich Classic team event

By BRETT MARTEL They followed that with ping a 148-yard approach
AP Sports Writer seven straight pars. After shot a foot from the hole.
AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Horschel narrowly missed Horschel’s 88-foot wedge
When Scott Piercy tried a 23-foot birdie putt on 18 out of a greenside bunker
to deflect credit to Billy that was reminiscent of the stopped less than 2 feet
Horschel for their nerve- one he sank to win on the from the hole on the par-5
testing, one-shot victory same green five years ago, 11th to set up his team’s fi-
in the Zurich Classic team Dufner stood over a 14-foot nal birdie.
event, Horschel grinned putt for the tie. He left it a “With Billy’s course knowl-
and went with it. foot short. edge and comfort level
“I’d like to thank myself “Last putt, I didn’t get ag- here, I just had to do a little
for playing well this week,” gressive with it. Just didn’t bit and he could kind of
Horschel began with a quite get speed matched take over,” Piercy said.
laugh. “No, it was great to up like I wanted to,” Dufner Heading into the final
play with Scott. Our games said before compliment- round, Kevin Kisner and
match up well. We are re- ing Horschel on Piercy on Scott Brown, the 2017 Billy Horschel, left, congratulates teammate Scott Piercy on
ally good ball-strikers. We how hard they were to runners-up in a playoff, the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic
think the same way. ... I chase down. “They didn’t topped a crowded lea- golf tournament’s two-man team format at TPC Louisiana in
don’t have to worry about lose a tee all day — and derboard that featured Avondale, La., Sunday, April 29, 2018.
him making a bad deci- that’s pretty tough in alter- 13 teams within four shots Associated Press
sion.” Playing in the same nate shot.” The victory was of the lead. By the time faded on the back nine finished third at 20 under.
group as Jason Dufner and Horschel’s fifth and Piercy’s the top five teams had all with three bogeys and one Tied for fourth at 19 under
Pat Perez — who trailed by fourth. They each earned reached the back nine, double-bogey, and tied for were the teams of Tommy
a mere stroke for the final $1.04 million and 400 Fed- they were all within two 15th at 15 under. Fleetwood and Chris Pais-
seven holes — Horschel ExCup points. shots of one another. The team of Louis Oosthui- ley, and Brice Garnett and
and Piercy calmly execut- The result did not count to- This time, Kisner and Brown zen and Charl Schwartzel Chesson Hadley.q
ed one pressure-packed ward the world ranking.
shot after another Sunday, A year ago, the Zurich for-
closing with a bogey-free mat called for best-ball
5-under 67 in alternate shot play in the second and fi-
play that was just good nal rounds, with alternate-
enough. shot on the first and third.
“All four of us are really But organizers decided
great friends. We were this year to flip that so the
chatting it up the entire final round would have the
day— toward the end of alternate-shot format, with
the round, a little less,” one player hitting the tee
Horschel said. “You’re go- shots on even-numbered
ing to be anxious, nervous. holes and the other on odd
You’re heart’s going to be numbers. That set the stage
racing a little bit, but that for substantial moves up or
says you’re alive. It says down the leaderboard;
you’re alive and in the spot players had less margin for
you want to be.” error and no choice but
Horschel became a two- the play the lies their team-
time winner at TPC Louisi- mates left them on the pre-
ana. He captured his maid- vious shot. Horschel liked
en PGA Tour triumph at the the change because “the
2013 Zurich Classic when better players, the better
it was a traditional every- teams obviously are go-
man-for-himself event. His ing to rise on Sunday. It’s
popularity with the crowd a lot more volatility. ... I felt
was evident with the ova- the way we played — how
tion he receiving ap- good of ball-strikers we are
proaching the 18th green. — I felt like we could really
He said he loves New Or- make up a lot of ground.”
leans and has close friends Horschel and Piercy began
in the city. the day three shots back,
“I just feel at home here,” but immediately surged
Horschel said. “Maybe I into contention with birdies
should look into buying a on the first two holes.
house here, but what are Piercy’s 146-yard approach
the state income taxes? set up Horschel’s 5-foot
That’s the issue.” birdie putt on the opening
Especially if he keeps play- hole. On the par-5 second
ing the way he has lately, hole, Piercy chipped to 4
having finished tied for fifth feet to set up Horschel for
at the RBC Heritage two birdie again.
weeks earlier. Horschel returned the favor
Horschel and Piercy surged on the par-5 seventh with a
into the lead with birdies chip to 3 feet and did even
on the 10th and 11th holes. better on the 10th, drop-