In 2024, Rory McIlroy has another event scheduled, and Shane Lowry will be accompanying him. The European Ryder Cup mainstays will play alongside each other at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which takes place from April 25–28 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana.
Apparently, a drunken lunch was the beginning of it all.
On Monday, McIlroy said to GOLF.com, “I asked him [to play].” “You know what, last year after the Ryder Cup, we had this really drunken lunch, and I said, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?'” And we said, “Sure, let’s get started.”
Since 2017, the Zurich Classic has been a two-person team tournament. This will be McIlroy’s first time competing in it.
Lowry has performed four times at the Zurich. Twice, during individual stroke play, he failed to make the cut, finishing T28 and 13th respectively. In 2018 and 2019, Lowry collaborated with Padraig Harrington, who is currently on the PGA Tour Champions. In 2022, he worked with Ian Poulter, who is currently at LIV Golf.
“Yeah, if you are looking to play?” I asked. stated McIlroy. And I’m excited because I’ve never played before.
As an aside, you may have previously read about the “drunken lunch” that McIlroy and Lowry had, presuming that this is the same one. After Europe won the Ryder Cup in 2023, the Irish stars were interviewed in-depth by Paul Kimmage of the Irish Independent.
The Kimmage article claims that McIlroy stopped by Lowry’s house for lunch, which included a bottle of wine, soon after they arrived back in the United States. Later on, Luke Donald and—wait for it—Michael Jordan were among the other guests.
“MJ, Luke, and Ryan are chatting about the Ryder Cup,” Lowry said to Kimmage. [Giggles] “.. Not quite how I had imagined the festivities to go.”
Was the meal McIlroy was mentioning the same one? If so, dinner with the GOAT and a Zurich Classic partnership makes for one hell of a business luncheon.
The addition of McIlroy is a major plus for the tournament in New Orleans.
With its current structure, the Zurich has included both well-known teams and some more unusual pairings. Even if they are not eligible individually, qualifying individuals may choose their partner (provided they are PGA Tour members or receive a sponsor’s exemption). Friends Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were among the more well-known teams in the past (winning two years ago), and in 2022 Bill Haas invited his father, Jay Haas, 68, to be his partner. For 36th place, they were tied.
As sponsor’s exemptions, John Daly and David Duval failed to make the cut last year, while brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick battled but finished tied for 19th. The reigning champions are Davis
Riley and Nick Hardy.
