The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is missing some familiar faces this week, and Rory McIlroy is one of them. He won this event in 2024 alongside Shane Lowry, returned to defend in 2025, and has now opted out entirely. However, before anyone writes off the $9.5M team event, the defending champions, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, pushed back directly on the idea that the field lacks quality.

“You may not know some of the names in this tournament yet, but you will,” Novak said. “There’s some kids playing in this tournament that you better get to learn their names sooner rather than later.”

Griffin was equally straightforward: “Just because there might not be every single guy that’s in the top 20 in the world here doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a gimme week for a top pair like me and Andrew. It’s still very strong.”

That confidence is not coming out of the blue. Ben Griffin himself is proof of what one week at TPC Louisiana can do. Going into last year’s Zurich Classic, he was not speaking to any media. Not only did he win it, but he also went on to become a Player of the Year candidate by the end of the year.

Well, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak are not even the first example of this. Davis Riley and Nick Hardy claimed their first PGA Tour win at this event in 2023. And Xander Schauffele won here with Patrick Cantlay in 2022.

Novak also addressed the format itself to make another point. He brought up the 2024 final, when McIlroy and Lowry won the title. They did not coast to it. They were pushed to a playoff by Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer, two names that did not dominate headlines that week.

“One shot better and they aren’t the winners,” Griffin added.

The Zurich Classic’s team format, Four-Ball in rounds one and three and alternate shot in rounds two and four, consistently produces that kind of chaos. It is the only official FedEx Cup event built around two-man teams, and it rewards chemistry and execution over reputation.

Not only McIlroy, but there are other golfers too who aren’t playing. Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama missed the cut in 2025 and are skipping for the first time since the team format was introduced in 2017, ending five consecutive appearances. He hinted at a back injury after a T4 at the RBC Heritage. Chris Gotterup, who won the Sony Open and WM Phoenix Open this season, is also out. The other notable absences were Robert MacIntyre, who had a neck injury throughout the Masters, and Sepp Straka, who had three straight weeks off.

However, the field has top-end depth. After winning the RBC Heritage last week and the Valspar Championship earlier this season, Matt Fitzpatrick is one of only two Tour players with multiple wins in 2026 and ranks third in the world. His brother Alex, who won his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open, is his partner. Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka have paired up for this season as well.

Griffin put it plainly: “Every single week can change your career.”

The Zurich Classic has a track record of making that statement true, and this week will tell who will make history. Moreover, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak are not just here to participate this year.

Can Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak make history at the 2026 Zurich Classic?

Since the format changed in 2017, no team has been able to keep the Zurich Classic title. Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak are aware of that. They also know that their 28-under win in 2025 wasn’t a fluke, and they are back with the same attitude that got them there.

And the chemistry between them is not something they built just for this week. They have played countless rounds together at Sea Island, in money games, in casual settings. Griffin said it plainly: they have both seen each other hit terrible shots, and that familiarity removes the pressure of performing for a partner.

Both have grown since they won here in 2025. Griffin won two more Tour events and earned a spot in the Ryder Cup. Novak made it to his first Tour Championship. No one knew them as a duo before. If they defend here, it would prove that they are one of the best teams this format has ever seen.

Griffin likes to keep things light, but Novak says he gets serious on the course. Both agree that balance works for them. They aren’t trying to have a perfect week. They are chasing history, and they come knowing exactly what they can do.