Draws and Fades: Back under-the-radar Keith Mitchell, J.T. Poston over flashy teams at Zurich Classic

The teams have wrapped up their first round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, lighting up TPC Louisiana in the Four-ball format — but now comes the true test: Foursomes. The alternate-shot format always promises movement on the leaderboard, for better or worse.

As expected, the scoring was hot in Round 1, none more so than rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, who put pedal to metal with a Four-ball record 58. After the friendly best-ball handshake opener, Friday's shift in format is where things tend to get unpredictable.

Headlining the odds board heading into the second round are the Danish twins, Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard. The brothers opened with a sub-60 round of their own and find themselves available for +500 to win at FanDuel’s online sportsbooks after an impressive opening day.

Just behind them are Kurt Kitayama and Collin Morikawa at +600, followed by the marquee European duo of Masters champion Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry at +750, who sit 8-under after opening their week with a 64.

Other teams drawing interest include Salinda and Velo (+1200) and the recently surging Andrew Novak and partner Ben Griffin (+1400). Further down the board, value hunters may look at Cam Davis and Adam Svensson (+2200) or the intriguing duo of Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala (+2500).

Here are the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook:

• +500: Rasmus Højgaard/Nicolai Højgaard
• +550: Kurt Kitayama/Collin Morikawa
• +700: Shane Lowry/Rory McIlroy
• +1200: Isaiah Salinda/Kevin Velo
• +1400: Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin
• +2200: Thorbjørn Olesen/Matt Wallace
• +2200: Cam Davis/Adam Svensson
• +2200: Aaron Rai/Sahith Theegala
• +2800: J.T. Poston/Keith Mitchell
• +3000: Thomas Detry/Robert MacIntyre

Draw

J.T. Poston/Keith Mitchell +3000

It’s not just the flashy teams at the top of the board that warrant attention. J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell fly a bit under the radar, but they bring a balanced game to the table that could thrive in alternate shot.

Poston has a sneaky-strong short game and Mitchell’s driving can be a weapon if he stays in rhythm. At +3000, this team feels like a sleeper waiting to arise, staying strong through the chaos of alt-shot to rise on the leaderboard.

They’ve both had moments this season, with Mitchell notably grabbing first-round leader honors at three straight events back in the Florida swing. With less pressure on them compared to the bigger names and each other to lean on if things get dicey, a low round Friday isn’t out of the question en route to setting up a winning weekend.

Fade

Kurt Kitayama/Collin Morikawa +550

This isn’t a slight against Morikawa’s ball-striking — one of the best on TOUR — or Kitayama’s ceiling as a multiple-time contender and winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, one of the toughest tests on the schedule, but the value just isn’t here at +550. The alternate-shot format can expose weaknesses in rhythm and communication, and Kitayama’s form of late, notably off the tee, just doesn’t inspire supreme confidence at such short odds. If they prove the doubters wrong, great — but from a betting perspective, this feels like a “wait and see” scenario, not a “buy in” moment.

Friday’s format shift will likely shake the tree — and how teams handle the pressure and precision of Foursomes will determine who’s in it for the weekend. Hold tight.