Rory McIlroy won’t be playing in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but his partner, Shane Lowry, has found a new teammate: Brooks Koepka.
The two have committed to the PGA Tour’s lone team event, being played at TPC Louisiana from April 23–26.
In 2024, Lowry and McIlroy, good friends, partnered up for the tournament and won. Last year, in their title defense, they placed T12 as Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak snatched the title.
This year, however, McIlroy is likely cutting down on his schedule and also withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this month with a back injury, before grinding out a T46 at the Players Championship the following week. The Zurich Classic is two weeks after the Masters.
Major Star Power is coming to New Orleans!
— Zurich Classic (@Zurich_Classic) March 30, 2026
2024 Zurich Classic champion Shane Lowry will team up with five time major winner Brooks Koepka at this year‘s event! April 23-26. Don’t miss out, https://t.co/2hSoq5Y4Ih. Kids 15 & under FREE pic.twitter.com/ao41MUK7df
Lowry has made six starts this season, including a runner-up at the Cognizant Classic, where he fumbled a three-stroke lead on holes 16 and 17. The 2019 British Open winner is looking for his first win since the 2024 Zurich.
Koepka, meanwhile, was reinstated by the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf in December. One of the stipulations of his return, though, is that he isn’t eligible for signature events unless he qualifies. Therefore, winning an event like the Zurich would boost the five-time major champion’s status on Tour.
The Zurich Classic does not award world ranking points as a team event, but grants 400 FedEx Cup points and a two-year exemption to each winner. Plus $1,372,750 each from the $9.5 million purse.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rory McIlroy Not Playing Zurich Classic As Shane Lowry Has Surprising New Partner.
