Rory McIlroy has accomplished another first on the PGA Tour. Teaming up with Shane Lowry at the 2024 Zurich Classic, the two emerged victorious over Martin Trainer & Chad Ramey in a playoff at TPC Louisiana. McIlroy & Lowry made birdie on the final hole of regulation in the foursomes format to reach 25 under -- the number that Trainer & Ramey held as a clubhouse lead -- before making par on the first extra hole to grab the title.
The victory marks the 25th of McIlroy's PGA Tour career, pulling him past Dustin Johnson and Gary Player. He now stands alongside Tommy Armour, Johnny Miller and Macdonald Smith with that many wins. It also represents Lowry's third win on the PGA Tour and his first in the United States since the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
With the victory, Lowry gains access to the remaining big-money PGA Tour signature events this season: Wells Fargo Championship, the Memorial and Travelers Championship. He will also benefit next season as he'll be able to start his season at The Sentry.
"It feels absolutely amazing," McIlroy said. "We've had an awesome week here in New Orleans. ... It feels like it's just a bonus to win at the end, but [it] couldn't be better to have this man alongside me to get a PGA Tour win together."
McIlroy & Lowry started the day just off the pace of 54-hole leaders Patrick Fishburn & Zac Blair. The two struggled early in their final round as the competition transitioned to the foursomes format. Lowry put McIlroy in a couple spots of bother on holes Nos. 1 and 3, leading to early bogeys which sandwiched a birdie on the par-5 2nd.
This was nothing new for the Irish team as they became familiar with sluggish starts this week. The duo caught fire a few holes later around the turn rattling off four birdies in a five-hole stretch to catapult themselves back onto the first page of the leaderboard.
The birdies subsided on the difficult back nine, but one from the blade of McIlroy arrived on the par-4 16th. After hitting his tee shot in the fairway bunker with an iron in hand, McIlroy made amends connecting from just inside 20 feet after Lowry hit a pearl from the sand.
McIlroy's short-game prowess was unable to make up for the mistake off the tee on the 17th leading to an immediate bogey; that meant the two needed birdie on the last to force a playoff with Trainer & Ramey. The birdie came courtesy of a stellar spinner from the wedge of McIlroy, which left Lowry little worry over the putt to tie the clubhouse lead.
On the first playoff hole, McIlroy & Lowry were never out of position as they found the fairway and slid into the greenside bunker in two on the par-5 18th. Meanwhile, Ramey & Trainer struggled after their 3-hour layoff, hitting a number of poor shots. Despite this, Trainer still had a par putt from inside 10 feet to extend the playoff, though it never sniffed the hole and left him dejected.
"It's been an amazing week," McIlroy said. "I had never been here before. Shane has been here a handful of times, and we went out to some really nice dinners and people could not have been more hospitable or nicer to us during the week. I'd say we're going to come back and defend next year." Grade: A+
Rick Gehman, Patrick McDonald, Greg DuCharme and Mark Immelman recap Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry's win in the Big Easy. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Here are the grades for the rest of the notables on the leaderboard at the 2024 Zurich Classic
10. Adam Hadwin & Nick Taylor (-21): The Canadian duo got off to a great start Sunday with birdies on both front-nine par 5s. Getting within two strokes of the lead, Taylor & Hadwin appeared primed to replicate last year's final-round heroics where they fired a 9-under 63. Unfortunately, once they creeped onto the first page of the leaderboard, they began to head in the wrong direction with a bogey on Nos. 9 and 12. Coming off a runner-up finish in 2023, Taylor & Hadwin once again put together a solid showing alongside each other and may make captain Mike Weir consider the partnership in Montreal later this year. Grade: B+
T23. Collin Morikawa & Kurt Kitayama (-18): These two were effective together but didn't possess enough firepower. Their first-round four ball consisted of just six birdies, and they added two more in Friday foursomes to make the cut on the number. They remained bogey-free up until the par-3 17th on Saturday, but by then, the peloton had passed them. Kitayama remains solid from tee to green while Morikawa continues to move in the right direction with his game. Grade: C+
T23. Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (-18): Given their history in both this event and national team competitions, Schauffele & Cantlay disappointed. They came into the week as the betting favorites and held a share of the lead through 35 holes thanks to a massive effort in Friday foursomes. Only then did the struggles begin as the two made bogey to polish off their second rounds, fell flat during Saturday's four ball format and were too far behind to make any noise Sunday. They are both approaching two years since their last wins. Grade: C-
MC. Sahith Theegala & Will Zalatoris (--): This new team was solid in the opening round with a 7-under 65 but back tracked in foursomes. It's not all that surprising given the fresh nature of the relationship and the time it often takes for players to get comfortable with one another in foursomes. Both players are in fine form so we shouldn't put too much stock into their early exit. They could conceivably be teammates again on Team USA for the 2024 Presidents Cup this upcoming fall. Grade: F
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are in the greenside bunker in two although McIlroy may have an awkward stance for what would otherwise be a pretty standard up-and-down. Meanwhile, Ramey blasts their second wayyyyy left. They might be pin high but about 50 yards away with little green to work with. Advantage McIlroy/Lowry.
The two teams will play 18-9-18-9 (Foursomes-Fourball). Both of these teams made birdie on 18 in regulation in the final round in the foursomes format. If they tie, they will head to the par-3 9th and play four-ball (the format from Rounds 1 and 3).
A birdie on the last will force a playoff between McIlroy/Lowry and Trainer/Ramey. Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn need eagle on the last to join the party.
Well, that may do it for this team. They make their second double bogey on a par 3 and it will be the final nail in the coffin. They drop two off the lead and will need eagle on the last to join a playoff. Meanwhile, Shane Lowry has…oh, I don't know…2 feet for birdie on 18 to tie Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey at 25 under.
Not a great hole from Shane Lowry on 17. He bails out way right to avoid the water and puts McIlroy in a pickle. He did well to give Shane a par look from 15 feet, but he was unable to convert. The two head to 18 where they MUST birdie to tie the clubhouse lead.
The Irishmen are tied for the lead! Rory McIlroy rolls one in after Shane Lowry hit a great approach from the fairway bunker to reach 25 under. That may spell the end of Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey's chances in the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Zac Blair misses a 10-foot birdie bid on 15 which would have pushed them to 26 under. The three teams are tied at the top.
The birdies are coming from the final few groups. Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry have gotten to 24 under. Lowry just missed an 8 footer to tie the lead (see below). Ryan Brehm has knocked in two birdies in a row to get to 24 under while Zac Blair faces a putt to get to 26 under a hole behind.
That's what can happen in alternate shot. Zac Blair finds the water on No. 9 and then misses a 6-foot putt for bogey. They are now 24 under and one behind the clubhouse leaders who are sitting pretty. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have tacked on three straight birdies and eye a fourth on the par-5 11th which would push them to 24 under.
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy take advantage of the par-5 7th and tack on another on the par-4 8th. They are now 22 under and three off the lead in the clubhouse (and in their group).
The two are 25 under and one clear of the field.
The hottest players on the golf course are coming up on their final hole. The two have gotten to 24 under which is now one behind Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair and they will aim to match them and post the clubhouse lead at that very number. They are 8 under and would match the tournament low in alternate shot should they birdie 18.
The team of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have carded two bogeys in their first three holes in large part because of Shane Lowry. A poor drive on No. 1 leads to a bogey and a poor tee shot and short missed putt on No. 3 leads to another. They made birdie on No. 2, but they are now four adrift from the two teams at the top.
Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey have joined the lead at 23 under. The two are out in front on the golf course and have gotten to 7 under through their first 13 holes. That is an incredible round in foursomes and they will hope to tack on probably two more birdies to post 25 under.
Let's see what the overnight betting favorites can do. They start the day two behind the leaders after rounds of 61 and 64 in the four-ball format. The two shot 2-under 70 in foursomes on Friday and will probably need to improve upon that given the crowded nature of this leaderboard. I'm keeping an eye on Lowry's putter as either a catalyst or hindrance to this squad.
Can the 2022 champions be the team to post a score? A birdie on No. 11 gets them to 19 under and four behind the leaders. They have seven holes left and would love to add maybe four more birdies to get to that 23-under number and force the leaders to post something under par on difficult, windy day.
Chesson Hadley and Greyson Sigg turn in 5-under 31 and are now within two of Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn. 5 under is no small feat in alternate shot and they will now have a chance to post something for the leaders to look at. The record in foursomes in 63 shot a couple times last year.
The Georgia Tech and Georgia duo has creeped inside the top five thanks to a fast start. The two are now 4 under through their first six holes and only three behind Fishburn and Blair at 23 under.
The wind is up and it looks like some scary clouds might be rolling into the area. Rain is expected around 2 p.m. local, but hopefully it will skirt past without any delays. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay meanwhile are hot out the gates with a pair of opening birdies to get within five strokes of the leaders.
The two have carded rounds of 63-66-66 in their last three foursomes rounds in this tournament. Once again it appears the easier four-ball format will be the death of this team as they aimed to win their second title in the last three seasons. They begin the day seven strokes off the pace and, who knows, if they can shoot something like 63 again maybe they have an outside chance.
The teams transition to foursomes (alternate shot) for the deciding final round at TPC Louisiana. This traditionally favors the stronger teams which is music to the ears of the betting favorites Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. They won't go off for a little while, so in the meantime let's see if Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele can make a push.
