Shane Lowry will join forces with Brooks Koepka for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a two‑man team competition held at TPC Louisiana. The duo will be one of 80 pairs battling for the trophy, a field that includes the defending champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, who edged out Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard by a single stroke to claim the 2025 title. The Zurich Classic has become a showcase for some of golf’s most recognizable partnerships.
In the two previous editions, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry paired up, turning the European Ryder Cup partnership into a winning combination in 2024 after they defeated Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey in a sudden‑death playoff. Their victory was celebrated in classic rock style – the pair performed a rousing rendition of Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’" onstage, much to the delight of the crowd. McIlroy explained the origin of that partnership in a GOLF.com interview, recalling a "drunken lunch" after Team Europe’s triumph in Rome in 2023. "I asked him [to play]," McIlroy said.
"We had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year. I said after, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?’ And we were like, ‘yeah, let’s do it.’" While McIlroy now enjoys a brief hiatus from competitive play after back‑to‑back green jacket victories at the Masters, Lowry has found a new partner in five‑time major champion Brooks Koepka. Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January after a four‑year stint with LIV Golf, and his reunion with Lowry creates an intriguing storyline because the two have previously faced each other on opposite Ryder Cup sides. Despite that rivalry, they are close friends and neighbours in Florida, which adds a relaxed, familiar vibe to their collaboration.
Both players bring an impressive résumé to the table. Lowry captured The Open Championship in 2019 at Royal Portrush and has been a member of two victorious Ryder Cup teams. Koepka, meanwhile, boasts five major titles – two U.S.
Opens and three PGA Championships – and a reputation for thriving under pressure. Together they account for six major victories and a wealth of experience on golf’s biggest stages, making them early favorites for the tournament. The competition, however, will not be easy. Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh off his second PGA Tour win of the season, will be back on the course with his younger brother Alex Fitzpatrick.
Matt’s recent surge has seen him climb to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings after winning the Valspar Championship and edging world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the RBC Heritage. Alex has also been in fine form, having secured his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March.
The Fitzpatrick brothers missed the cut by two strokes in the previous year’s Zurich Classic, so they will be eager to improve their performance. Rookie Marco Penge, a long‑driver from England, will make his PGA Tour debut alongside fellow Englishman Matt Wallace. Penge’s best finish to date is a tied‑fourth at the Valspar Championship, and he hopes to translate that momentum into a strong showing in the team format.
Aaron Rai will also return, paired with Sahith Theegala, who has already recorded four top‑10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season. The Zurich Classic is unique on the PGA Tour calendar because it is the only official team event. The format alternates between four‑ball and foursomes play. In the first and third rounds, each player hits his own ball and the lower score on each hole counts for the team – a format that rewards aggressive play and individual brilliance.
The second and final rounds switch to foursomes, where teammates share a single ball and alternate shots, including alternating tee shots on each hole. This demands seamless teamwork, strategic shot‑selection, and strong chemistry.
After 36 holes, the field is cut to the top 33 teams and ties, who advance to the weekend. In 2025 the cut line was –10, and notable players such as Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama missed the weekend. If a tie persists after the full 72‑hole schedule, a sudden‑death playoff will determine the champion. The stakes are high.
The tournament purse has been increased from $9.2 million to $9.5 million, with the winning pair splitting roughly 14.45 % – about $1.372 million each. Winners also earn 400 FedExCup points per player, though no Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded.
In addition, the champions secure invitations to marquee events in 2027, including the Players Championship and the PGA Championship, and they receive an exemption to compete in the Zurich Classic for the next two years. Sky Sports will broadcast the action live across all four days. Early‑round coverage begins at 1 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf, with full coverage from 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Friday’s second round starts at 1.45 p.m., with prime‑time coverage again at 8 p.m. Weekend coverage kicks off at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with full programming from 6 p.m.
each day. The event runs alongside the first women’s major of the year, the Chevron Classic, which will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event. All eyes will be on Koepka and Lowry as they attempt to translate their individual success into a team victory. Their friendship, complementary skill sets, and shared experience on the biggest stages make them a compelling pair, but they will need to navigate a deep field of talented duos, manage the shifting formats, and handle the pressure of a larger purse and valuable FedExCup points.
Whether they can rise to the occasion will become clear as the tournament unfolds, and fans can follow every swing, putt, and strategic decision live on Sky Sports throughout the week.