Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 82. Wind SSE 10-15 mph. Preferred lies were in effect during the first round.

First-Round Leaderboard

Note: Davis, Svensson transcript attached

Isaiah Salinda/Kevin Velo (1^st/-14)

• Set the 18-hole Zurich Classic of New Orleans record in Four-ball with a 14-under 58 (previous: 59, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele/2022/R1; Nicolai/Rasmus Højgaard/2025/R1)
• Began their round by setting the tournament’s nine-hole scoring record with a 10-under 26 (previous: 28)
• PGA TOUR rookies are making their Zurich Classic of New Orleans debut; Puerto Rico Open winner Karl Vilips, the only rookie winner so far this season, is one of five first-time winners (most recent: Min Woo Lee/Texas Children’s Houston Open)
• Salinda is making his 10^th start of the season, with a third-place finish at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld his career-best finish (20 starts); earned TOUR membership by finishing No. 18 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List

• Velo is making his 11^th start of the season, with two made cuts and a season-best T40 at the Puerto Rico Open; enters week with three straight missed cuts; earned membership by finishing No. 15 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Salinda (Panama Championship) and Velo (Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard) won in back-to-back weeks on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour

Nicolai Højgaard/Rasmus Højgaard (2^nd/-13)

• Denmark twins briefly tied Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele (2022/R1) for the 18-hole Four-ball record at the event until Salinda/Velo carded the new record 90 minutes later
• Partnering for the second time (MC/2024) but first with both as TOUR members; Rasmus finished No. 1 in the DP World Tour Top 10 to earn his card for 2025, while Nicolai finished No. 108 in the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings to retain his card
• Rasmus is making his ninth start of the season, with a T12 at the WM Phoenix Open his best outing

• Nicolai is making his eighth start of the season, with his best finish coming at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld (8^th); enters the week with four straight missed cuts

Additional Team Notes

• Most scores of 62 or better in a single round since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans became a team event in 2017: 12 (2025/R1), 9 (2019/R1), 8 (2018/R1, 2022/R1)
• Las Vegas residents paired together at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the second time (T23/2024), World No. 4 and Zurich ambassador Collin Morikawa and teammate Kurt Kitayama (T3/-11) open with an 11-under 61
• Adam Schenk/Tyler Duncan (T13/-9) card an opening-round 9-under 63, including Schenk’s albatross from 231 yards on the par-5 seventh hole
• Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry (T28/-8) open with a 64 in bid to become the first team to successfully defend their title
• First-round results for three sets of brothers competing as teams in this year’s event: Nicolai/Rasmus Højgaard (2^nd/-13), Matt/Alex Fitzpatrick (T59/-6), Jeremy/Yannik Paul (T72/-5)
• Zurich golf ambassadors first-round results: Morikawa/Kitayama (T3/-11), Sahith Theegala/Aaron Rai (T13/-9); Billy Horschel withdrew earlier this week with an injury

Format

• This is the eighth year the Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be played in a two-man team format, which was introduced in 2017 (canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19)
• Teams play Four-ball in the first and third rounds, and Foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds
• Each player on the winning team will receive 400 FedExCup points, $1,329,400, a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR (through 2027) and entry into the three remaining Signature Events