Smalley/Springer lead Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Sepp Smalley and Chris Springer have surged to the first-round lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, combining for a remarkable 9-under-par 63 in foursomes format at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana.

Watch the highlights:

The American duo, who are both seeking their first PGA Tour victory as partners, showed remarkable chemistry throughout the opening round, posting nine birdies against no bogeys in their alternate-shot format.

"We gelled really well out there today," Smalley said. "When one of us wasn't quite on, the other picked up the slack. That's what you need in this format."

Springer echoed his partner's sentiments, highlighting the importance of trust in the team format.

"Sepp made some incredible saves today that kept the momentum going," Springer said. "This course can penalize you quickly if you're not on your game, but we kept each other calm and made the clutch putts when we needed them."

The pair holds a one-stroke advantage over the teams of Billy Horschel/Taylor Moore and Keith Mitchell/David Lipsky, who both finished at 8-under. The field remains tightly packed heading into Friday's four-ball format, where players will alternate roles.

The Zurich Classic is the only team event on the PGA Tour schedule, and the unique format provides additional strategy and pressure that differs from individual stroke play. The tournament continues through the weekend, with the winning team taking home $1.26 million from the $8.3 million purse.

"This format always produces drama," tournament director Steve Minkin said. "With the lead being so tight, we could see several different teams in contention come Sunday afternoon."