The signs that the weather would disrupt another day at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans were here ahead of R3. At that time, due to inclement weather, the PGA Tour was forced to start the round 15 minutes later than scheduled. For the fans attending the event, that meant the gates opened at 11 AM (ET). A similar problem, as expected, has gripped R4.

The start of the final round of the $9.5 million Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been delayed for 30 minutes due to inclement weather in the area. As per weather reports from TPC Louisiana, the fans and pros can predict similar disruptions throughout the round, including a potential afternoon thunderstorm. Conditions look mostly grey with 65% cloud cover, a 55% chance of light rain, and a 50% probability of thunderstorms. As expected, one controversial ruling is in place.

In the second update, the golf world was told that the start of the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is delayed an additional 30 minutes. The first tee time is now scheduled for 10:30 a.m. local time. Moreover, preferred lies are in effect for round four.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

On Which Hole Jordan Spieth’s Ball Got Stuck Under a Trashcan?

14th 15th16th 17th

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Preferred lies permit players to lift, clean, and drop their balls a short distance away rather than playing them as they lie. The rule applied during the third round, too.

Reinstating preferred lies makes perfect sense. Heavy rain often saturates fairways, causing balls to plug into the turf or pick up clumps of mud. This debris then affects the ball’s flight, undermining shots no matter how well-struck.

This is hardly surprising. Last season, lightning forced the suspension of the Sunday round at 3:42 PM ET at the Zurich Classic. This year at the Cognizant Classic, pros could use preferred lies in round four due to bad weather.

But the bigger question is, how are pros handling this weather?

Fitzpatrick brothers lead the bunch at the weather-beaten Zurich Classic

At the start of round three, Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick trailed the lead by one stroke. They surged four shots clear at TPC Louisiana, firing 15-under 57 on Saturday. The older of the two, Matt, nailed an eagle on the par-five 7th, and the brothers kept rolling in the four-ball setup. Together, they racked up 13 birdies, all without a single bogey.

Impressed with his play, in fact, Matt praised his brother to the moon and back.

A win here would mean even more for the brothers. It would give Alex, sitting at No. 141 in the world rankings, full PGA Tour status through 2028, spots in the rest of 2026’s Signature Events, and a tee time at the 2026 PGA Championship.

It’s not going to be very easy, however.

The brothers are followed by Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat, who are sitting just four shots off the lead at T2. They are tied with Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who completed the weather-beaten Saturday round just 5 shots off the lead. Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang fired 61s to climb into fourth place, trailing by five strokes.

Billy Horschel—the sole player to claim the Zurich both solo and in team play—teamed with Tom Hoge for a 64, leaving them seven strokes behind. Meanwhile, Zach Bauchou made the first hole-in-one here since 2024. Sam Stevens and he are now eight shots behind the Fitzpatrick brothers.

Now, it’s just a matter of nerves.