Rory McIlroy and his close friend set to return to Louisiana-based tournament next week

Rory McIlroy and his close friend, Shane Lowry, teamed up for the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and won. This year, they’re gearing up to defend their titles in the tournament, which kicks off on April 24 at TPC Louisiana.

McIlroy was recently crowned the 2025 Masters Tournament champion to secure a career Grand Slam. He has won 29 PGA Tour events and 19 on the European Tour. McIlroy, who lifted the trophy in the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, also won the U.S. Open in 2011.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry has won three PGA Tour events and six on the European Tour. He won his first and only major championship title in 2019 at the Open Championship. He also finished at T3 in the 2022 Masters Tournament and T4 in the 2021 PGA Championship.

On Friday, April 18, the PGA Tour shared a post on X that read:

“Defending champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry return to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to defend their title.”

The Zurich Classic was established in 1938 and became a team event on the PGA Tour in 2017. It is played in a four-ball format in the first and third rounds and in an alternate shot format in the second and fourth rounds.

Last year, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry finished their final round with 25-under and were tied for the lead with Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. After a playoff, they emerged victorious and won $1,286,050 each, while the runners-up won $525,100 each.

Who will Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry face in the 2025 Zurich Classic?: Full field explored

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will be up against the likes of Gary Woodland & Lee Hodges, and Collin Morikawa & Kurt Kitayama.

Here’s a full list of every team competing at the event next week:

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry
Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama
Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge
Robert MacIntyre and Thomas Detry
Will Zalatoris and Nick Dunlap
Nicolai Højgaard and Rasmus Højgaard
Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick
Wyndham Clark and Taylor Moore
Zach Johnson and Ryan Palmer
Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney
Kevin Kisner and Greyson Sigg
Brandt Snedeker and Chez Reavie
Sahith Theegala and Aaron Rai
Sepp Straka and Brice Garnett
Akshay Bhatia and Carson Young
Gary Woodland and Lee Hodges
Adam Svensson and Cam Davis
Nico Echavarria and Max Greyserman
Quade Cummins and Chris Gotterup
Nick Hardy and Davis Riley
Joe Highsmith and Alejandro Tosti
Si Woo Kim and Sangmoon Bae
Patton Kizzire and Ben Kohles
Frankie Capan III and Jake Knapp
Henrik Norlander and Luke List
Russell Knox and Peter Malnati
Matt McCarty and Mason Andersen
Matthieu Pavon and Victor Perez
J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell
Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala
Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor
Erik van Rooyen and Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Jhonattan Vegas and Kevin Yu
Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips
Camilo Villegas and Luke Donald
Matt Wallace and Thorbjørn Olesen
Greyson Sigg and Kevin Kisner
Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner
Brandt Snedeker and Chez Reavie
Troy Merritt and Robert Streb
Chesson Hadley and Jonathan Byrd
Yannik Paul and Jeremy Paul
Eric Cole and Sam Saunders
Ben Taylor and David Skinns
Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter
Adam Schenk and Tyler Duncan
Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak
Mark Hubbard and Ryan Brehm
Beau Hossler and Andrew Putnam
Justin Lower and Chad Ramey
Doug Ghim and Chan Kim
Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair
Sam Stevens and Max McGreevy
Rico Hoey and Sam Ryder
Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney
Ryo Hisatsune and Takumi Kanaya
Chandler Phillips and Jacob Bridgeman
David Lipsky and Dylan Wu
Vince Whaley and Anders Albertson
Mac Meissner and Noah Goodwin
Ben Silverman and Sami Valimaki
Nate Lashley and Hayden Springer
Garrick Higgo and Ryan Fox
Joseph Bramlett and Alex Smalley
Joel Dahmen and Harry Hall
Bud Cauley and Kevin Tway
Trey Mullinax and Robby Shelton
Will Gordon and Matthew Riedel
Ryan Gerard and Danny Walker
Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo
Kris Ventura and Antoine Rozner
Jesper Svensson and Niklas Norgaard
Steven Fisk and Tim Widing
Kevin Roy and Trevor Cone
Lanto Griffin and Cameron Champ
Ricky Castillo and William Mouw
Jackson Suber and Pierceson Coody
Will Chandler and Matt NeSmith
Paul Peterson and Thomas Rosenmueller
Matteo Manassero and Cristobal Del Solar
John Pak and Taylor Montgomery
Kaito Onishi and Rikuya Hoshino
Taylor Dickson and Trace Crowe
Hayden Buckley and Braden Thornberry
Martin Laird and Bill Haas

About the author

Sarah Rishama Madaki is a dedicated Golf Writer at Sportskeeda with a passion for bringing fresh perspectives to the world of sports journalism. With five years of professional experience as a content writer and strategist, she has worked with global brands across diverse industries, including stints at Soot Africa, TWU, Ink Different Hub, and Attrock.

A devoted fan of golf, Sarah stays updated on the sport through platforms like ESPN, SS Golf, and esteemed publications such as Golf Digest and Golf.com. She combines her knowledge of the game with an ability to understand audience preferences, crafting stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Sarah credits Tiger Woods as her inspiration for entering the world of golf. His resilience, innovative contributions to the game, and achievements motivate her to push boundaries in her career.

Beyond golf, Sarah is an avid NFL enthusiast cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, a fiction novel lover, and a budding gardener. She aspires to one day cover historic events like The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, bringing fans closer to the heart of the action.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar