AVONDALE, La. – Three of the Zurich Classic’s headliners got off to a rough start Thursday.
With only nine top-50 players teeing it up this week at TPC Louisiana, the Zurich already had one of the weakest fields of the season. Now, it’s in jeopardy of losing even more star power, after shaky starts from defending champion Billy Horschel (74), Patrick Reed (74) and Rickie Fowler (75).
All three players teed off in the afternoon, when the wind gusted to 20 mph and the Bermuda greens became bumpy.
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“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” Horschel said. “You get on the wrong side of the draw, and it works out that way. Maybe we can get no wind tomorrow early in the morning for us, and the wind can pick back up in the afternoon and make it fair for everybody.”
Justin Rose, at No. 11 the highest-ranked player in the field, birdied the last for 71. No. 21 Keegan Bradley opened with 69.