AVONDALE, La. — The fourth, sixth, ninth, 12th and 14th. It is easier to note which holes Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer didn’t birdie or eagle than it is to go through all the circles on their scorecard from Thursday’s opening round at the 2026 Zurich Classic. The people here in Cajun country love their spicy food, but this duo set TPC Louisiana ablaze with 12 birdies and an eagle on the second hole en route to a 14-under 58 and the early lead.
“Four to finish, can’t complain,” Springer said. “Kind of got the putter going there… then nice to finish off on 18, get that one, take care of the par-5, especially in this format.”
Not far behind, Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat kept pace with a 13-under 59, while Sam Stevens and Zach Bauchou added to the early barrage with a 12-under 60 to position themselves firmly in contention. The latter duo wasted no time getting started, opening birdie-eagle-birdie and closing with four straight birdies to cap a round that rarely lost momentum.
More: 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard, live updates, scores
Thompson and Eckroat built their round steadily before catching fire.
“I felt like we kind of eased our way into the round,” Thompson said. “Then we just rode the momentum and made a bunch of birdies and also made a nice eagle on seven.”
Behind them, Sam Stevens and Zach Bauchou posted a 12-under 60, powered by one of the more unusual scorecards of the morning. Bauchou holed three shots from off the green, including a 40-footer, as the longtime friends leaned on familiarity and a freewheeling mindset.
“This is a format where you can play really freely,” Stevens said. “We have two looks at it on every hole, and that kind of keeps that freedom going.”
That theme carried throughout the morning wave, where aggressive play and confident putting turned TPC Louisiana into a birdie-friendly layout.
For Smalley and Springer, the chemistry was just as important as the ball-striking. The two share ties dating back to their amateur days, and that comfort showed in how they fed off each other’s play.
“You kind of pick each other up where you can,” Springer said. “Even when Alex goes and makes a birdie, it feels like I made a birdie.”
The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.The 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.1 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.1 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.2 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.3 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.4 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.5 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.6 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.7 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.8 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.9 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.10 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.11 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.12 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.13 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.14 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.15 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.16 / 16Photos: Best merchandise at 2026 Zurich Classic of New OrleansThe 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans merchandise shop features t-shirts, hats, shirts and accessories adorned in crawfish, alligators, hot sauce and more.As low as the numbers were Thursday, the challenge is set to shift dramatically Friday with the alternate-shot format, where mistakes are magnified and birdies are harder to come by.
“You know you’ve got to take advantage of the best-ball day,” Eckroat said. “Tomorrow you never know. It’s a lot harder to make birdies in alternate shot.”
For now, though, the message from the morning wave was clear: in ideal conditions, the Zurich Classic can quickly turn into a sprint, so y’all better be cooking’ right from the start.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Zurich Classic scores Alex Smalley Hayden Springer lead after round 1