Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka are set to join forces for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a distinctive team competition held at TPC Louisiana. Their partnership adds another intriguing storyline to a field of 80 duos all vying for the coveted title.
The defending champions, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, will be back after narrowly edging out Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard by a single stroke to capture the 2025 trophy. The tournament’s recent history is peppered with memorable pairings.
Over the past two seasons, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have joined forces, and the European Ryder Cup pair clinched the 2024 edition after a dramatic playoff victory over Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey. Their win sparked a celebratory performance of Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’" that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
McIlroy later recounted that the decision to team up sprang from a "drunken lunch" after Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph in Rome in 2023, saying, "I asked him [to play]. We had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year.
I said afterwards, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?’ And we were like, ‘yeah, let’s do it.’" While McIlroy enjoys a brief hiatus from competitive golf after back‑to‑back Green Jackets at the Masters, Lowry is now paired with five‑time major champion Brooks Koepka. Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January after a four‑year stint with LIV Golf, bringing a wealth of experience and a fierce competitive edge to the partnership.
Both players live in Florida and have faced each other on opposite Ryder Cup sides in the past, yet they remain close friends, making their collaboration both strategic and personal. Together, Lowry and Koepka bring an impressive résumé to the table. Lowry captured The Open Championship in 2019 at Royal Portrush and has contributed to two Ryder Cup victories for Europe.
Koepka’s cabinet boasts five major titles, including two U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships, underscoring his reputation as one of the modern era’s most dominant players in major‑championship golf.
Their combined six major victories and extensive big‑stage experience position them as early favorites, though the field is deep and competitive. Among the other notable pairings is Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh off his second PGA Tour win of the season, who will team up with his younger brother, Alex Fitzpatrick.
The Fitzpatrick brothers have enjoyed a remarkable few months: Matt surged to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings after triumphs at the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage, where he outlasted world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.
Alex, meanwhile, secured his maiden DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March. The siblings missed the cut by two strokes when they entered the Zurich Classic last year, making a return this season a chance for redemption.
Rookie Marco Penge, a long‑driver who has been making steady progress on the PGA Tour, will debut alongside fellow Englishman Matt Wallace. Penge’s best finish to date is a tie for fourth at the Valspar Championship in March, indicating his growing comfort on American soil. Aaron Rai will also be back on the course, paired with Sahith Theegala, who has already chalked up four top‑10 finishes this season on the PGA Tour.
The Zurich Classic stands out as the only team event on the PGA Tour calendar. Its format is a hybrid of four‑ball and foursomes play. During the first and third rounds, teams compete in four‑ball: each player hits his own ball, and the lower score on each hole counts for the team. The second and final rounds switch to foursomes, where teammates alternate shots with a single ball, alternating tee shots on each hole.
After 36 holes, the top 33 teams and any ties advance to the weekend. Last year’s cut line was set at –10, and even high‑profile players such as Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama missed the weekend. If a tie remains after the full 72 holes, the competition is decided by a sudden‑death playoff, adding an extra layer of drama to an already tense finish.
The prize purse for the Zurich Classic has been increased from $9.2 million to $9.5 million, with the winning duo splitting roughly 14.45 %—about $1.372 million each. In addition to the financial reward, the victors earn 400 FedExCup points per player, although no Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded. Winners also secure invitations to marquee events for the 2027 season, including The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, and they receive an exemption to compete in the Zurich Classic for the next two years.
Broadcast coverage will be provided by Sky Sports. Early‑round action begins at 1 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf Thursday, with full coverage kicking in at 8 p.m. Friday’s second round starts at 1:45 p.m., again moving to full coverage at 8 p.m.
Weekend rounds will be shown from 2 p.m. with comprehensive coverage from 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
In parallel, the first women’s major of the year, the Chevron Classic, will also launch Thursday on Sky Sports Main Event. The Zurich Classic offers a unique blend of individual skill and teamwork, testing players’ ability to adapt between four‑ball aggression and the precision required in foursomes.
For Lowry and Koepka, the tournament represents an opportunity to combine their complementary strengths—Lowry’s steady ball‑striking and Koepka’s power and mental toughness—to contend for a prestigious title and a sizable payday. As the week unfolds, fans can anticipate compelling match‑ups, dramatic swings in momentum, and perhaps a new champion emerging from the deep pool of talent.
Whether you are a casual viewer or a devoted golf enthusiast, the Zurich Classic promises excitement, strategic nuance, and the chance to witness some of the world’s best golfers collaborating in a format unlike any other on the PGA Tour.