Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry to team up at Zurich Classic in all-Irish pairing

A pair of Irishmen are set to take on The Big Easy.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who helped Europe win the Ryder Cup this past fall, will team up again at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans next month.

The only team event on the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans features 80 two-man teams competing in foursome and fourball formats, similar to the Ryder Cup. Tournament organizers introduced this format in 2017.

Both team members play their own ball during the first and third rounds, as the best score will be taken on each hole. This is also known as best ball.

Then, the tournament employs an alternate shot format for the second and fourth rounds, creating plenty of drama down the stretch.

Interestingly, McIlroy has never played in the Zurich Classic before. But his commitment to this event in New Orleans will mark his fourth straight start on the PGA Tour.

Photo by Brian Spurlock/Getty Images

The four-time major champion committed to the Valero Texas Open the week before he tries to conquer the grand slam at The Masters. He will then play at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head immediately after playing at Augusta National.

After Harbour Town, McIlroy will head straight to TPC Louisiana for the Zurich Classic.

As for Lowry, this will mark his fifth appearance at this event. He first competed in 2013—before the team format was introduced—and missed the cut.

His best finish came in 2022, when he and Byeong Hun An paired up and finished in 13th at 21-under par.

Other Zurich Classic teams announced thus far include Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kityama, defending champions Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, and Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

More teams will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.