Shane Lowry is set to join forces with five‑time major champion Brooks Koepka for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a unique team‑based tournament held at TPC Louisiana. The duo will be one of 80 two‑man teams battling for the title, a field that also includes the 2025 defending champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, who edged out Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard by a single stroke to capture last year’s trophy.
The Zurich Classic is the only team event on the PGA Tour schedule, and its format is a hybrid of four‑ball and foursomes play. In the first and third rounds each player hits his own ball; the lower score on each hole counts for the team. The second and final rounds switch to the more demanding foursomes format, where the partners share a single ball and alternate shots, including alternating tee shots on each hole. After 36 holes the top 33 teams and any ties advance to the weekend, while the rest are eliminated.
If a tie remains after the full 72‑hole competition, a sudden‑death playoff determines the champion. Lowry and Koepka’s partnership is especially intriguing because the two have previously faced each other as opponents on opposite Ryder Cup squads.
Despite that rivalry, they have become close friends and even share a home base in Florida, making their collaboration feel natural. Together they bring an impressive résumé: Lowry captured The Open Championship in 2019 at Royal Portrush and has contributed to two victorious Ryder Cup teams for Europe, while Koepka boasts five major titles, including two U.S.
Open victories and three PGA Championships. Their combined six major wins and extensive experience under pressure place them among the favorites to lift the trophy. The pairing follows a recent trend of high‑profile duos entering the Zurich Classic.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, for example, won the event in 2024 after a dramatic playoff against Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey. Their celebration became legendary when they performed a rousing rendition of Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’" on stage, a moment that delighted fans worldwide. McIlroy has explained that the partnership originated during a "drunken lunch" after Team Europe’s triumph in Rome in 2023, a spontaneous decision that turned into a winning formula.
Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour this January, after four years on LIV Golf, adds another layer of narrative to his collaboration with Lowry. While Koepka re‑establishes himself on the main tour, Lowry continues to enjoy a successful stretch, having recently secured back‑to‑back green jackets at The Masters.
Their complementary skill sets—Koepka’s power and composure in major‑championship pressure situations and Lowry’s precision and creativity around the greens—make them a formidable pair. Other notable teams in the field include the Fitzpatrick brothers. Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh off his second PGA Tour win of the season and a climb to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings after triumphs at the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage (where he beat world No.
1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff), will partner with his younger brother Alex. Alex, who captured his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March, missed the cut by two strokes in the Zurich Classic last year, but the brothers are eager to improve on that performance. Rookie long‑driver Marco Penge makes his debut alongside fellow Englishman Matt Wallace. Penge, who posted a T‑4 finish at the Valspar Championship earlier this season, is still finding his footing on the PGA Tour, but his length off the tee could prove valuable in the four‑ball rounds.
Aaron Rai will team up with Sahith Theegala, who already has four top‑10 finishes this year, adding further depth to the competition. The prize purse for the Zurich Classic has been increased this season, rising from $9.2 million to $9.5 million. The winning team will split roughly 14.45 percent of the total purse—about $1.372 million—while each player also earns 400 FedExCup points.
Although no Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded, the victory grants the champions entry into marquee events for the 2027 season, such as The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, as well as an exemption to compete in the Zurich Classic for the next two years. Broadcast coverage will be extensive.
Sky Sports will air live action across all four days, beginning with early‑round highlights at 1 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf, followed by full coverage from 8 p.m.
on Thursday. Friday’s second round starts at 1:45 p.m. with comprehensive coverage at 8 p.m., and weekend play will be shown from 2 p.m.
with full evening broadcasts at 6 p.m. Additionally, the first women’s major of the year, the Chevron Classic, will debut on Thursday on Sky Sports Main Event, offering golf fans a full slate of high‑stakes competition. In summary, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans presents a rare opportunity for golfers to compete in a team environment on the PGA Tour.
With a blend of seasoned champions like Koepka and Lowry, rising stars such as the Fitzpatrick brothers, and promising newcomers like Marco Penge, the tournament promises drama, strategy, and high‑level play. Fans can follow every swing, shot‑by‑shot, on Sky Sports throughout the week to see which partnership ultimately claims the coveted title.