The zurich classic opens Thursday at TPC Louisiana with Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry teaming up in a pairing that looks unusual from the outside but makes sense to them. The two-man event begins with four-ball in the first and third rounds, then switches to foursomes in the second and final rounds. Lowry said Wednesday that he asked Koepka for a partner in New Orleans, and Koepka agreed.
Why this Zurich Classic team came together
The partnership stands out because Koepka, an American, and Lowry, an Irishman, are more often seen on opposite sides of high-pressure team competition than on the same card. They have both played in the same Ryder Cup, including the 2023 edition outside Rome, but never faced each other in a Ryder Cup match. Lowry said the idea came together during a round at Grove XXIII, where he raised the question directly and Koepka responded that he would be in New Orleans.
Koepka said the connection is not as unusual as it may appear because players from both sides of the Atlantic spend plenty of time around one another in South Florida. He said he does not go a day without seeing other players there and that conversations, lunch, practice sessions and rounds happen often. That was part of the backdrop for a partnership that first became possible once Lowry needed a new teammate.
How the field shapes the Zurich Classic
The zurich classic uses self-selected two-man teams, and many pairings are straightforward to explain. Brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick are together, fellow Danes Jacob Skov Olesen and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are playing as a team, and defending champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak are back to defend their title. That makes the Koepka-Lowry pairing one of the more notable storylines entering the week.
Lowry had played the previous two Zurich Classics with Rory McIlroy, and the pair won together in 2024. When McIlroy did not enter this year’s event, Lowry needed a replacement, and Koepka needed starts after his January return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf left him short of the FedEx points needed to qualify for Signature Events. He is hoping Lowry can help him improve that position this week.
Immediate reaction from both players
Lowry was direct about the fit. “To the outside it might not look like it makes sense, ” he said Wednesday, standing beside Koepka at the tournament, “but, you know, to us it does. ” He also said of the New Orleans ask, “I might need a partner for New Orleans. ”
Koepka’s response was just as simple: “Well, I’m going to have to play there. ” The exchange captured the practical, low-drama way the team came together, even if the pairing still surprises anyone looking in from the outside.
What happens next at TPC Louisiana
The next test for the pair begins Thursday, when the zurich classic starts its opening round at TPC Louisiana. From there, the format will quickly shift between four-ball and foursomes, making chemistry as important as form. For Koepka and Lowry, this week is about turning a one-off question asked at Grove XXIII into a working partnership on the course, and the zurich classic will reveal how far that connection can carry them.
