By Staff and Wire Reports of Global Golf Post

The adjustment to the Zurich Classic format this year – competitors played best ball on Thursday and Saturday and alternate shot on Friday and Sunday’s final round – was a positive change in the second year of the team event, adding to the uncertainty in the closing 18 holes.

Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy showed they could handle both formats, rushing into contention on Saturday when they shot 11-under par to give themselves a chance on Sunday. In the final round, they scattered five birdies across their scorecard without a bogey and avoided a playoff when Jason Dufner’s 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole missed.

Earlier this month, Horschel and Piercy shared a house at the RBC Heritage, where Horschel finished tied for fifth. Horschel tied for 11th at the Valero Texas Open the following week then rode a hot putter – he went back to a 33 1/2-inch putter at New Orleans – to pick up his fifth PGA Tour victory and second in this event (he won in 2013 when it was an individual tournament).

“My game hasn’t been great the last year though I won at the Byron (Nelson) last year,” said Horschel, who missed the cut in five of six starts before the RBC Heritage. “It’s great to validate all the hard work.

“Sometimes the results don’t show. I expect the results to show. When they don’t I get a little frustrated. It’s nice to see the results finally show up.”

It was Piercy’s fourth PGA Tour victory and first since the 2015 Barbasol Championship.

“My partner was awesome this week. He hit some really big shots,” Piercy said.

Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown, who lost in a sudden-death playoff in this event last year, started Sunday with a one-stroke lead but struggled throughout the final round. They finished tied for 15th after shooting a final-round 77 that included two bogeys and a double bogey on the final four holes.

Billy Horschel WITB:

Driver: PXG XXF prototype (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution IV

3 Wood: PXG 0341X (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS 6.5X 75 grams

5 Wood: PXG 0341 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS 6.5X 75 grams

Irons: PXG 0311T Gen2 (3, 5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: PXG 0311T Milled Sugar Daddy (52-10, 56-10), PXG 0311T Milled Zulu (60-07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue

Putter: PXG Mustang

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord (standard size 58R)

Scott Piercy WITB:

Driver: Titleist 917D2 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Tour Z

3 Wood: Titleist 917F2 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Pro 83X Tour Spec

Hybrid: Titleist 816H1 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Pro 95X

Irons: Titleist 716 AP2 (4 iron), Titleist 680MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Project X LZ 6.5 (125 grams)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 (46, 53, 57 degrees), Titliest Vokey TVD (63 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron T2

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Tour Velvet Cord Midsize

Republished with permission from Global Golf Post.