Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, the high‑profile pairing for this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, were unable to survive the cut, missing it by a single stroke after two rounds of play. Their early exit came despite a promising start that had them within striking distance of the weekend field. Lowry, who captured the Zurich Classic title two years earlier alongside Rory McIlroy, found himself without his former teammate this time around because McIlroy elected not to play. In McIlroy’s stead, Lowry teamed up with five‑time major champion Brooks Koepka, hoping that the combined experience of a former champion and a seasoned major winner would be enough to navigate the tournament’s unique team format.
The duo opened with a solid 66 in the Thursday four‑ball round, followed by a respectable 69 in the Friday foursomes. Those scores left them nine under par after the halfway point, just one shot shy of the cut line, which was set at ten under. Unfortunately, the margin was too slim, and both players were eliminated from further contention.
Meanwhile, the English brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick seized the opportunity to climb the leaderboard. On Friday, they recorded a spectacular seven‑under‑par 65, propelling them into a share of second place after 36 holes.
Their surge was matched by the American pair Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who posted back‑to‑back birdies to finish their round with a 70, moving them to 16 under par—one shot ahead of the Fitzpatrick brothers and two other teams. Going into the Friday foursomes, the Fitzpatricks trailed Smalley and Springer by six strokes, but they responded with the day’s lowest round, narrowing the gap to a single shot heading into Saturday’s decisive round.
A victory in New Orleans would cap an extraordinary few months for the Fitzpatrick family. Matt, who recently ascended to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings after winning the Valspar Championship and then prevailing in a playoff at the RBC Heritage over world No.
1 Scottie Scheffler, would add another trophy to his résumé. Alex, meanwhile, has been in fine form since his maiden DP World Tour triumph at the Hero Indian Open in March, and the brothers had only missed the cut by two strokes the previous year. Tied with the Fitzpatricks for second place were Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat, as well as Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge, all sitting at 15 under.
English interest extended beyond the Fitzpatricks: Aaron Rai, partnered with American Sahith Theegala, was 12 under, while Matt Wallace and Marco Penge were just one shot further back at 11 under. The Zurich Classic remains the sole team‑based event on the PGA Tour schedule. The competition begins with two rounds of four‑ball, where each player plays his own ball and the lower score on each hole counts for the team.
The third and fourth rounds shift to a foursomes format, requiring teammates to alternate shots with a single ball; tee shots alternate on each hole, and the combined strokes determine the team’s score. After the first two rounds, the top 33 teams and any ties advance to the weekend. If a tie persists after 72 holes, a sudden‑death playoff decides the champion.
This year’s tournament carries heightened financial stakes. The PGA Tour has increased the purse from $9.2 million to $9.5 million, meaning the winning team will split roughly 14.45 percent of the total—approximately $1.372 million each. In addition to the monetary reward, each player on the victorious side receives 400 FedExCup points, although no Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded for the event. Beyond the immediate prizes, the champions earn coveted exemptions into several marquee tournaments for the 2027 season, including The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, as well as an automatic invitation to return to the Zurich Classic for the next two years.
The Fitzpatrick brothers, if they can sustain their momentum, stand poised to add this team title to their growing list of achievements. Their recent form—Matt’s rapid rise in the world rankings and Alex’s breakthrough win on the DP World Tour—suggests they could be the pair to finally break through at the New Orleans venue. For Lowry and Koepka, the narrow miss serves as a reminder of how unforgiving the cut line can be, even for seasoned champions, and underscores the unpredictable nature of team golf where chemistry and day‑to‑day performance can swing outcomes dramatically. Overall, the Zurich Classic continues to deliver drama and excitement, blending individual skill with collaborative strategy, and offering players a unique platform to test their partnership under tournament pressure.
Whether it’s a veteran duo like Lowry and Koepka or an emerging sibling team like the Fitzpatricks, the event showcases the depth of talent on the PGA Tour and the ever‑evolving storylines that keep fans engaged throughout the season.