The partnership of Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy continues to thrive at the Zurich Classic, with the duo maintaining a share of the lead after the second round in Louisiana.
Lowry revealed last month that the idea of pairing up for the Classic came during a boozy post-Ryder Cup brunch last year, and the bromance between the Irish duo has been in full swing in New Orleans this week.
The pair are likely to make up Team Ireland's lineup at this summer's Paris Olympics, and their performance thus far bodes well for their medal hopes in August.
Lowry and McIlroy shot 61 in the first-round fourballs to move into a tie for the lead, before a 70 on Friday moved them to -13 - and still part of a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
It was not quite as smooth a Friday as might have been hoped, however, as Lowry endured struggles with his putting and left a few shots behind him.
The nerviest moment came on the 17th hole, with Lowry narrowly avoiding the water and cracking up with teammate McIlroy as they rode their luck down the home straight.
READ HERE: Rory McIlroy Explains How Tokyo Changed His Perspective On Olympics
READ HERE: Resurfaced Barry Hearn Clip Undermines His Argument With Ken Doherty
Shane Lowry had narrow escape in hilarious moment at Zurich Classic
A wayward tee shot from Shane Lowry on the 17th seemed destined for the water and, even after its first bounce on land, it was a nervy wait for the Irishman before it finally came to rest safely away from the hazard.
The TV cameras then cut to Lowry slumped on the ground in utter relief, before he leapt to his feet and embraced his teammate saying, 'Sorry, Rors!'
Lowry himself tweeted the clip later on Friday evening with the tongue-in-cheek caption "Never in doubt."
Never in doubt @McIlroyRory 🙈☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/DWXgI86dfh
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) April 26, 2024
McIlroy burst into laughter as the pair thanked their lucky stars. The duo went on to rescue par as they concluded their front nine, having teed off on the 10th. They would go out on 35 and ensured they finished the round right in the mix at the top of the leaderboard.
Reflecting on their performance after the round, McIlroy said that he had tried to encourage his partner throughout as Lowry struggled at times.
It's easy to sort of get hard on yourself, and I was just trying to keep him as positive as possible and just remind him that I'm here and I'm here to back him up in any way that I can. So, yeah, just trying to keep him positive.
Shane has got a wonderful short game, and it gives me confidence going for those greens whether it be the par-4s or the par-5s that if I get it anywhere up there around the green, I'm going to have a very good look for birdie after he hits his.
Meanwhile, Lowry said that his mid-round wobble had been settled by a big putt to save par on the 4th.
I had missed a few around the turn. I missed a pretty short one on 18 and then another one on the second. I started to get a little bit into myself, but to roll that one in was nice, and to play the last few holes the way we did was really nice too.
I think a bit of a lesson there for myself to kind of keep going and just keep trying and keep plugging away. We did that today, and I'm pretty happy how we finished.
Lowry and McIlroy will tee off at 5:35pm Irish time on Saturday alongside the pair of Aaron Rai and David Lipsky.
SEE ALSO: Snooker Star Had Furious Reaction To Missing Straightforward Shot At World Championship
