Hattiesburg’s Davis Riley is back at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and after one round, he and Nick Hardy have put themselves in the early mix at TPC Louisiana.
Riley and Hardy opened Thursday’s first round with a 9-under 63, finishing the day around T16. The opening round used the Zurich Classic’s four-ball format, also known as better ball, where each player plays his own ball and the team counts the better score on each hole. Golf Channel noted that the Zurich Classic remains the PGA Tour’s lone team event, with Thursday played as four-ball before Friday shifts to foursomes, or alternate shot.
For Riley, this tournament carries more than just another PGA Tour start. He and Hardy won the Zurich Classic together in 2023, giving both players their first PGA Tour victories. That partnership matters, because this event rewards chemistry as much as ball-striking. In a normal PGA Tour week, one player’s mistake is his alone. At Zurich, the rhythm between teammates can change everything.
Riley’s path to this stage began in Hattiesburg, where he became one of the most decorated young golfers Mississippi has ever produced. He played at Presbyterian Christian School, won the state title four straight years, and as a senior shot a 9-under 63 to win individual honors by six strokes. He was named the 2014-15 All-USA Boys Golf Player of the Year, qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open as an 18-year-old, and became one of the few players to reach the U.S. Junior Amateur final in back-to-back years.
At Alabama, Riley quickly proved he belonged in SEC golf. As a freshman, he earned honorable mention All-America honors, second-team All-SEC honors and all-freshman recognition while posting a 71.75 stroke average. As a sophomore, he led Alabama with a 71.63 stroke average and earned PING All-Region and Second Team All-SEC honors. By the fall of his junior season, he was ranked as the No. 1 collegiate golfer in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.
Thursday’s 63 was exactly the kind of start Riley and Hardy needed. The Zurich Classic can get away from teams quickly because Thursday’s four-ball round is the scoring day. With Friday’s alternate-shot format coming next, teams that do not go low early can spend the rest of the week chasing. Riley and Hardy did enough to stay relevant, but they will need a clean second round to keep pace with the leaders, who went even deeper on opening day.
For Friday’s Round 2. Davis and Hardy will tee off on Hole 1 at 2:01p.m. Magnolia Coast Sports will be live this weekend at the Zurich Classic covering Davis Riley, as he aims to win his second Zurich Classic and third win on the PGA Tour.
2026 Zurich Classic Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings
2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Leaderboard
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