Rahm/Palmer seize lead, don't let up to win Zurich Classic

The team of Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer took sole possession of the lead on the first hole and never let it go Sunday to win the PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

They shot a final-round 3-under-par 69 on the TPC Louisiana course to finish at 26-under-par 262, three shots ahead of the team of Spain's Sergio Garcia and England's Tommy Fleetwood.

"For the most part golf, is an individual sport," Rahm said. "You get to share it with your caddie, but to also get to share it with your partner when you know you both played your best is special."

Rahm/Palmer began the day tied with Scott Stallings and Trey Mullinax at 23-under par before Stallings/Mullinax bogeyed the first hole and Rahm/Palmer birdied the second to take a two-shot lead.

Rahm, No. 11 in the World Golf Ranking, and Palmer, ranked No. 70, played as teammates for the first time in the event, which concluded with foursomes (alternate shot), repeating the second-round format. The teams played four-ball (best-ball) in the first and third rounds.

Rahm and Palmer each received $1,051,200 from the total prize money of $7.3 million. Rahm broke a tie with Rory McIlroy for the most top-10 finishes on Tour this season with his eighth.

The teams of South Korea's KH Lee/Matt Every and Brian Gay/Slovakia's Rory Sabbatini finished tied for third at 21 under, and four teams tied for fourth at 20-under -- Ireland's Seamus Power/Canada's David Hearn, Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale, Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown and Hank Lebioda/Australia's Curtis Luck.

Stallings/Mullinax finished tied for 13th after shooting a final-round 77 to finish at 18 under.

After a string of pars on holes 3-5, Rahm/Palmer had their first bogey of the day at No. 6, but still led by two strokes over Stallings/Mullinax and Garcia/Fleetwood.

Garcia/Fleetwood eagled No. 7 to get within one shot, then bogeyed nine and birdied 11 to again get within a shot. Stallings/Mullinax joined them at 22 under when they birdied No. 7.

A bogey at No. 13 dropped Garcia/Fleetwood out of the second-place tie moments before Rahm/Palmer moved to 24 under and a two-shot lead with a birdie at No. 10.

The lead grew to three strokes when Stallings/Mullinax bogeyed No. 11, dropping into a second-place tie with Garcia/Fleetwood and Gay/Sabbatini.

"Our games complement each other so well with our drives and our iron play," Palmer said. "It's nice having his short game behind you when you miss a green."

Garcia/Fleetwood took sole possession of second place with a birdie on No. 17, but moments later Rahm/Palmer birdied No. 13, then birdied 14 to take a four-shot lead.

"Our number all day was trying to get to 24, so 5 under today," Garcia said. "But we realized it wasn't that easy. The greens were really, really fast. They were very firm. They were difficult to handle."

No official world rankings are awarded for the team event, but each member of the winning team will earn 400 FedEx Cup points and a two-year winner's exemption on the PGA Tour along with entry into the Tournament of Championship and The Players Championship next year.

--Field Level Media