As Rory McIlroy celebrated his triumph at the 2024 Zurich Classic, Rory McIlroy couldn't help but break out into song. He sang Don't Stop Believin' by Journey on stage alongside his partner, and Justin Rose took note of his singing voice.
Rose shared with X, formerly known as Twitter, to prop up the $170 million worth (Celebrity Net Worth) golfer:
"What a voice, Rory McIlroy. Brings back memories of when I got up on that stage post win... Congratulations on the win, lads!"
Rose won the Zurich Classic in 2015, but that was before it became a team event. Back then, it was a normal solo tournament. It transitioned to duos in 2017 and has remained that way since. This was McIlroy's first-ever appearance in the event.
While he's now singing it up with Shane Lowry and enjoying their win, this was not something he thought he'd be doing when the tournament came around in 2023. It wasn't until the 2023 Ryder Cup, which Rose was involved in as well as the two Irish golfers, that McIlroy decided to play.
He revealed that Bubba Watson had long been asking him to play team-based events, but McIlroy never really had. However, when his friend and fellow countrymen started asking, he decided to do it:
"I just thought it would be fun to do, going and playing here with a friend and enjoying a week in New Orleans. And going to eat some good food at night and trying to play some good golf during the day. I thought it would be a fun week," he admitted.
That ended up being a bad decision for everyone not named Lowry or McIlroy. That is especially true for Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. After a clutch birdie on the final hole, the two duos went to a playoff. If not for McIlroy being in the tournament at all, that wouldn't have happened and some other pair would have won.
Rory McIlroy reflects on clutch win at first Zurich Classic
Not many first-time participants in any PGA Tour event have the level of success that Rory McIlroy did. He and Shane Lowry shot 25 under and won on the first playoff hole.
After the win, he shouted out to the crowd via Golf.com:
“Absolutely amazing. The crowds all week have been absolutely amazing. To get the support we’ve had out there and to have so much fun while doing it, it’s been an awesome week, and obviously I feel like it’s just a bonus to win in the end," he said.
He went on to say:
“I’ve never been here before. Shane has been here a handful of times, and we’ve gone out for some really nice dinners, and people could not have been more hospitable or nicer during the week," Lowry praised.
It made for a terrific experience for McIlroy, who may end up defending his crown next year after avoiding the tournament for such a long time.