Michael Brennan’s shirtless water shot stole the spotlight as he and Johnny Keefer opened the Zurich Classic with a sizzling 11-under 61.
Michael Brennan and Johnny Keefer gave the Zurich Classic of New Orleans exactly what this team event is built for ... bold shots, big birdies and one viral moment nobody saw coming.
Brennan and Keefer opened Thursday’s Four-ball round at TPC Louisiana with an 11-under 61, putting themselves in early contention after a red-hot finish.
But the scorecard wasn’t the only thing that had golf fans talking.
Brennan became one of the day’s biggest stories after taking off his shirt and trying to hit a muddy shot from near the water on the par-5 18th.
The shot didn’t exactly work out. Brennan barely moved the ball before it ended up in the water. Still, the moment caught fire because it showed the kind of aggressive, team-first mindset that makes the Zurich Classic different from a normal PGA TOUR stop.
Brennan later said he probably would’ve taken a drop in a regular tournament, but Keefer already had a birdie putt on the green.
That gave him enough freedom to try something unusual, and the result became one of Thursday’s most memorable highlights.
The golf was pretty good, too. Brennan and Keefer started on the back nine and made the turn at 4-under 32 before catching fire on their second nine.
They played the front side in 7-under, finishing three shots behind Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who tied the Zurich Classic Four-ball course record with a 14-under 58.
The pairing makes plenty of sense on paper. Brennan won the Bank of Utah Championship last October after a strong PGA TOUR Americas season and entered the week averaging more than 323 yards off the tee.
Keefer, meanwhile, finished No. 1 on last year’s Korn Ferry Tour Points List after piling up nine top-10 finishes in 10 PGA TOUR Americas starts in 2024.
Their strategy was simple: play their own games, trust the other guy and celebrate the birdies.
Even when one of them loses a shirt.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community for FREE! Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable App to stay even more connected!