“Really cool journey that we’ve been a part of” - Rory McIlroy says he was out to have fun with Shane Lowry at the 2024 Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday (April 28). The Irish duo beat Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a playoff to take the win at TPC Louisiana. The two golfers hugged each other and celebrated with beers after the triumph.
For the unversed, McIlroy and Lowry have been friends for a quarter century now. They are nearby homeowners in South Florida and have playdates with their kids. Following the win, McIlroy came out to reveal that the win has been a long-term target for the duo.
The 34-year-old stated that they were aiming to retain the ‘fun’ they had in early days by playing together this weekend. McIlroy noted that he and Lowry has been part of a “really cool journey” over the past two decades and were excited to win together.
Speaking in the winner’s press conference at TPC Louisiana, Rory McIlroy said (at 5:10):
"The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life. And I think sort of re-injecting a little bit of that fun back into it like a week, like this week, it can always help…
"To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends, we’ve known each other for a long, long time, probably over 20 years. To think about where we met and where we’ve come from, to be on this stage and do this together - really, really cool journey that we’ve been a part of.”
Shane Lowry on the Zurich Classic win with Rory McIlroy
Shane Lowry was seen lifting a laughing Rory McIlroy off the ground with a bear hug during the celebrations. The Irishmen shared beers and even sang together for the audience. During the presser, Lowry backed McIlroy’s earlier comments and said that he had ‘loads of fun’ over the weekend.
Shane Lowry said at the Zurich Classic winner's press conference:
“We went out there, we had loads of fun, and we won the tournament. You couldn’t ask for a better week.”
Lowry further lauded his teammate for being a crowd-puller and stated that he enjoyed the reception they got in New Orleans. He dubbed it the “best week.”
It is pertinent to note that Lowry first teamed up with Rory McIlroy when the duo represented Ireland at the 2007 European Amateur Team Championship. They went on to be teammates in the European Ryder Cup squads for both Wisconsin and Rome.
Having played together at the Olympics in 2021, Lowry is hopeful of making a return to the competition this summer.