"It definitely makes me excited about the rest of the year now": Rory McIlroy details the impact of winning the Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry
Winning cures everything, which may be something Rory McIlroy learned recently. He initially didn't even want to play in the Zurich Classic but gave in and joined the field. He and Shane Lowry, who convinced him to sign up in the first place, ended up winning after a comeback and playoff.
Their win propelled Lowry into the field of some upcoming Signature Events, which are PGA Tour tournaments that carry a pretty large prize purse, so the win was advantageous from that perspective and more for the duo. Rory McIlroy said via Talksport:
"It got us both up the FedEx Cup points list quite a bit. And it gave us a lot of confidence going into the meat of the season and the summer. So, yeah, it was a great week. I'm so glad that we were able to do it and play, and, yeah, it definitely makes me excited about the rest of the year now."
Excitement might be something McIlroy hasn't had lately. He hadn't won a PGA Tour event all year until then, and he came up short once again in his bid to complete a career Grand Slam. Moving forward, McIlroy may be renewed and have more energy to compete.
Rory McIlroy had a positive experience at the Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy had been winless in 2024 up until the Zurich Classic, a rarity for the golfer. He hadn't exactly come all that close, either. He finally broke through with Lowry at his side and it invigorated him.
With still more than a few months left this season, McIlroy said the win infused him with some much-needed fun and excitement. He said via Talksport:
"The week in New Orleans did me the world of good just in terms of the fun element. It was a lot of fun; we had a great time, regardless of the result."
Naturally, the win felt better. He called their win over Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey a "bonus" and added that winning with a friend like Lowry was good too. McIlroy said that he felt great about his game as well.