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Defending champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry got off to a good start for their title defense at the Zurich Classic this week. The duo finished at T28 with a total score of 8-under par 64 on Thursday.
This was McIlroy's first competitive appearance after winning his maiden green jacket at the Masters two weeks back. He hit one eagle, two birdies and two bogeys in Round 1. Lowry posted four birdies while the team cohesively carded one eagle, seven birdies and one bogey.
The Zurich Classic will alternate between fourball and foursomes format. Fourball will be played in the first and third rounds, meaning that the lowest score out of the two golfers is registered as the team's score. The foursomes format means that team members take alternate attempts at completing the hole. This format will be enabled in the second and final rounds, respectively.
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In Round 1 on Thursday, the tournament featured the fourball format. At the moment, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo are leading the standings with a total score of 14-under par 58. The pair currently has a six stroke lead over Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
"Shane got off to a really good start. I didn't do anything" - Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy was all praise for his buddy and teammate Shane Lowry for the latter's brilliant performance at the opening round of the 2025 Zurich Classic on Thursday.
"Shane got off to a really good start. I didn't do anything. Shane joked I could have got a couple extra hours in bed if I wanted to. I played a bit better coming in. It was okay," McIlroy said via the PGA Tour.
The World No. 2 also analysed their performance as a team and what their strategy was this week.
"We felt like we left a few shots out there, but we were just saying the two Foursomes days on Friday and Sunday here are the important days in this tournament, and it's important for us to obviously post a good score tomorrow," he added.
Currently, there is a considerable margin between them and the leading duo. McIlroy and Lowry will have to catch up with the six-stroke deficit between them in the second round on Friday. The Northern Irishman said:
"I think sometimes every par you make feels like a bogey on these sorts of days, but then again, you have to remember that (Friday) and Sunday are the important days. And if you can shoot good scores on those days, you can move up the board pretty quickly."
No team has ever won the Zurich Classic twice in a row. If McIlroy and Lowry manage to do that this year, it will be a historic victory for the duo.
