“We figured it out last year”: Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry detail their strategy for the 2025 Zurich Classic

Modified Apr 24, 2025 16:03 GMT

PGA: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Final Round - Source: Imagn — Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry detail their strategy for the 2025 Zurich Classic (Image via Imagn)

Rory McIlroy, about two weeks removed from his Masters win, will team up once again with Shane Lowry for the Zurich Classic. Last year, it was Lowry who convinced his fellow countryman to play the duo tournament for the first time.

The Zurich is the only sanctioned team-based tournament on the PGA Tour. Golfers pair up and try to work off each other to win, which is what Lowry and McIlroy did last year in a playoff.

This year, they're likely to use the same strategy once more. McIlroy revealed the plan via Golf Monthly:

"I’d say we’ll probably just do the same thing as we did last year. If Shane is hitting the approach into the green, I’ll probably hit his golf ball off the tee, and then vice versa, he’ll hit my golf ball off the tee if I’m hitting the approach."

Lowry said they did some testing after delaying the trip back to the southeast and added:

"I went down to the range, and we both practice at the same place, so both our golf balls are there, and we did some testing, and they’re pretty similar."

Lowry said since it's foursomes, which the two Ryder Cup stars are familiar with, they feel comfortable with the format. The Irishman continued:

"You drive each other’s golf ball and then - because driving is not the issue. Especially when it gets windier, the wind is swirling, you want to have control of your ball. I think we figured it out last year, and we’ll do it this year."

Fresh off his Grand Slam, McIlroy is pairing up with Lowry, and they're the favorites to win the event once more.

Top duos to dethrone Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy revealed

It's difficult to win a golf tournament two years in a row. Conditions, and sometimes the courses, change, and the field is usually different. It's also just difficult to replicate a performance in golf.

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are the favorites (Image via Imagn)

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are the favorites to do just that in New Orleans for the Zurich Classic this weekend. They have by far the best odds of any duo in the field, per Golf.com. Here are the top duos in the field:

Rory McIlroy / Shane Lowry (+350)
Kurt Kitayama / Collin Morikawa (+1200)
J.T. Poston / Keith Mitchell (+1800)
Thomas Detry / Robert MacIntyre (+1800)
Andrew Novak / Ben Griffin (+2200)
Taylor Moore / Wyndham Clark (+2200)
Aaron Rai / Sahith Theegala (+2800)
Billy Horschel / Tom Hoge (+2800)
Rasmus Hojgaard / Nicolai Hojgaard (+2800)
Max Greyserman / Nico Echavarria (+3250)

Lowry and Rory McIlroy have the best odds, but relying on two people to do well again with different conditions and different playing levels is a tall task.

About the author

Zachary is a journalist covering NFL, Professional Golf, esports, and Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda. He has a degree in writing/editing from Southern Adventist University (USA), and in his spare time, he likes to play games such as Minecraft, Pokémon and Fortnite, or watch sports.

Ever since he was a youth football wide receiver, Zachary has been an avid NFL fan. He loves the Carolina Panthers, with Cam Newton being his all-time favorite player (with respect to the close second, Steve Smith). If you ever meet Zachary, prepare to hear all about how underrated Newton was and how he single-handedly dragged the Panthers to Super Bowl 50.

Zachary is also a big fan of top golfers like Tiger Woods, Wyndham Clark, and Scottie Scheffler. He enjoys watching them and hopes that Woods can return to form soon and win again.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann