Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will partner up for next month's Zurich Classic, the first time McIlroy has played in the event.
The tournament takes place in Louisiana from April 25-28, and sees players compete in pairs, with the rounds alternating between alternate shot (foursomes) and better ball (fourballs) formats.
Lowry has played at the event four times, but this will see him team up with Northern Irishman McIlroy for the first time.
Speaking after the news was revealed this week, McIlroy revealed that the pair's decision to team up came during their infamous boozy post-Ryder Cup lunch.
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Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy to team up for Zurich Classic
After the news of the glamour pairing at next month's tournament was revealed, McIlroy was interviewed by Golf.com about his decision to sign up for his maiden Zurich Classic.
It all started with a "really drunken lunch."
Rory McIlroy tells @kclairerogers how he and Shane Lowry teamed up for the Zurich. pic.twitter.com/4CLmzeWrYN— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 25, 2024
The four-time Major champion revealed that, amid a "drunken" post-Ryder Cup lunch with Shane Lowry, he had been struck by inspiration and asked the Offaly man if they could pair up for the tournament:
Very excited! I've been excited for...funny enough, I've known for a bit.
I asked him. We had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year, the week after. I said to him, 'you want to play the Zurich together?' And he was like, 'yeah.'
His former partner is now on the Champions Tour - Padraig Harrington.
I said, 'hey, if you're looking to play, I've never played before. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.'
Lowry played alongside fellow Irishman Harrington at the event in 2018 and 2019, and partnered with Englishman Ian Poulter the last time he played in New Orleans in 2022.
The lunch which fuelled Lowry and McIlroy's decision to partner up was likely the very same one which saw Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald make an appearance alongside basketball legend Michael Jordan.
In the weeks after the Ryder Cup, Lowry revealed that "MJ" was the most famous man in his phone contacts - and that the Chicago Bulls icon had joined them for a boozy brunch in the aftermath of Team Europe's triumph in Rome.
Interviewed trackside at October's US Grand Prix, Rory McIlroy revealed that it had taken him a full week to recover from his and Lowry's exuberant partying in the afterglow of the Ryder Cup.
Let's hope they're fully locked in when action gets underway at TPC Louisiana on April 25.
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