2024 Zurich Classic: Exploring How the PGA Tour Once Loved LIV Golf’s Most Frowned-Upon Tradition

Remember Alex Cejka head-banging to Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again’? Or, Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Reed walking up to the first tee with ‘Eye of the Tiger’ playing in the background? LIV Golf wasn’t on the scene, and the walk-up song at the Zurich Classic was all the rage. That was 2018.

Now, LIV Golf has received a lot of flak for blasting DJs on the course. In fact, Greg Norman has dialed down the music a little bit. But there was a time when music made its way into PGA Tour events, and there were calls to introduce it in some other tournaments too.

PGA Tour’s very own New Orleans tradition

The New Orleans event moved to a team format only in 2017. Generally, it coincides with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. So, the organizers thought it was a good idea to include music in the golf course as well. The tradition was started in 2018. Teams that made the cut had the privilege of playing their favorite song while teeing up on Saturday. Ben Crane and his teammate Alex Cejka milked it to the fullest six years ago. 

Over the years, the good folks of New Orleans, and the good fans of the Zurich Classic, have grooved from rock to rap to Irish ballads. Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington picked U2’s ‘Beautiful Day.’ Last year, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele rocked ‘House of the Rising Sun’. Of course, the Animals classic has a special connection with New Orleans. 

Paul Hodowanic, a staff writer at PGATour.com, tweeted that this tradition has been stopped this year. The tour hasn’t released any official statement, however. Interestingly, Kevin Yu already decided that he would blast ‘Crank That’ by Soulja Boy when he tees up in TPC Louisiana. 

The only difference with LIV Golf was that instead of DJs throughout the tournament, players only got to play their team’s theme song on the first tee. The format differs significantly from LIV Golf events. And, we are not just talking about Shotgun start. 

How Zurich Classic differs from LIV Golf Adelaide

Like the Ryder Cup, the Zurich Classic at New Orleans banks on Fourballs (1st & 3rd round) and Foursomes (2nd & 4th round). In Fourball, both players will play their own balls. The best score among the two will be counted. For example, if Shane Lowry birdies on the par 4, 400-yard 1st hole, and Rory McIlroy saves par, Lowry’s score will count towards the team’s score. 

Whereas, each player will tee off in odd and even-numbered holes on Thursday and Sunday. They will continue to play alternative shots on each hole. If Lowry tees off on the 1st (and subsequent odd-numbered holes), McIlroy will play the next shot, and then again Lowry will hit the third one. 

LIV Golf Adelaide, on the other hand, follows the traditional stroke-play format. In the first two rounds, the three best individual scores will count towards the team’s score. On Sunday, all four players’ scores will be taken into account. The Zurich Classic in New Orleans will tee off on April 25. LIV Golf Adelaide will kick-start a day later.