Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, two of the most recognizable names on the PGA Tour, saw their hopes of making the weekend cut evaporate by a single stroke at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The duo, who paired up for this year’s event after Lowry’s regular partner Rory McIlroy was absent, posted solid opening rounds but ultimately finished just one shot shy of the cut line. Lowry entered the tournament as a former champion, having lifted the Zurich Classic trophy two years earlier alongside McIlroy.
With McIlroy opting out of this edition, Lowry teamed up with five‑time major winner Brooks Koepka, hoping that their combined experience would carry them deep into the field. The pair began strongly, carding a 66 in the Thursday four‑ball session and following it with a 69 in the Friday foursomes. Those two rounds left them at nine under par after 36 holes, merely one shot away from the cut threshold of ten under.
Meanwhile, the Fitzpatrick brothers – Matt and his younger sibling Alex – were making a decisive surge. On Friday, they posted a blistering seven‑under 65, propelling them into a share of second place after the first two rounds. Their momentum was matched by the American tandem of Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who closed their round with consecutive birdies to finish at 70, moving them to 16 under and establishing a clear lead over the rest of the field.
Going into the third round, the Fitzpatrick brothers trailed the leaders by six strokes but responded with the lowest round of the day, narrowing the gap to a single shot heading into Saturday’s final round. A victory in New Orleans would have capped an extraordinary few months for the Fitzpatricks.
Matt, who recently ascended to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings, had already secured two PGA Tour wins – the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage, where he edged world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a dramatic playoff. Alex, on his part, had broken through earlier in the season with his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March.
The brothers had missed the cut by two strokes in the previous year’s Zurich Classic, making their current form all the more encouraging. Other teams tied for second place with the Fitzpatricks included Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat, as well as Billy Horschel paired with Tom Hoge, all sitting at 15 under par.
English representation was also notable: Aaron Rai, partnered with American Sahith Theegala, sat at 12 under, while fellow Englishmen Matt Wallace and Marco Penge were just one shot behind at 11 under. The Zurich Classic remains the PGA Tour’s sole team‑based event, featuring a hybrid format.
The first and third rounds are played as four‑ball, where each player hits his own ball and the lower score on each hole counts for the team. The second and final rounds shift to foursomes, a true alternate‑shot format in which teammates share a single ball and take turns teeing off on successive holes. After 36 holes, the top 33 teams and any ties advance to the weekend competition. If a tie persists after 72 holes, a sudden‑death playoff determines the champion.
This year’s tournament carries an elevated prize purse, having been increased by the PGA Tour from $9.2 million to $9.5 million. The winning squad will split roughly 14.45 percent of that total – about $1.372 million – and each player will earn 400 FedExCup points, though no Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer.
In addition to the financial reward, the victorious team secures invitations to marquee events in the 2027 season, including the Players Championship and the PGA Championship, as well as an exemption to return to the Zurich Classic for the next two years. Despite the disappointment for Lowry and Koepka, their performance underscores the unpredictable nature of team golf, where even top‑ranked individuals can miss the cut by the narrowest of margins. For the Fitzpatrick brothers, the tournament represents another stepping stone in a rapidly rising career trajectory, with the potential to add a prestigious team title to their growing list of achievements. The weekend’s drama, the shifting leaderboards, and the unique format continue to make the Zurich Classic a compelling highlight on the PGA Tour calendar.