Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry move up multiple spots in FedExCup standings after 2024 Zurich Classic win
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in a playoff victory over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. McIlroy and Lowry won $1.286 million each, while Ramey and Trainer bagged $525,100.
McIlroy and Lowry carded rounds of 61, 70, 64, and 68 with 25 under par in the four rounds at TPC Louisiana. Ramey and Trainer scored 66, 69, 65, and 63 with 25 under par too. On playoff hole 1, McIlroy and Lowry scored on par whereas Ramey and Trainer took one more shot and were eliminated.
The victory also helped McIlroy and Lowry move several spots in the FedExCup standings as both gained 400 FedExCup points each. McIlroy jumped 29 places from 44th to 15th after the win, while Lowry also moved 29 places from 41st to 12th. The victory was their first in the calendar year.
Shane Lowry has had three top-10 finishes in 2024 with a third position at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T4 at the Cognizant Classic. Rory McIlroy has had two top-10 finishes this season, with a third-place finish at the Valero Texas Open a month ago.
In the FedExCup standings, Scottie Scheffler maintains a significant lead with 3,915 points. Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele follow him in second and third place with 1,892 and 1,539 points respectively. Sahith Theegala and Ludvig Åberg follow, with 1,518 and 1,510 points respectively.
The Top 15 players in the FedExCup standings are as follows following the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
- Scottie Scheffler (USA) - 3915 points
- Wyndham Clark (USA) - 1892 points
- Xander Schauffele (USA) - 1539 points
- Sahith Theegala (USA) - 1518 points
- Ludvig Åberg (SWE) - 1510 points
- Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) - 1325 points
- Chris Kirk (USA) - 1198 points
- Matthieu Pavon (FRA) - 1139 points
- Byeong Hun An (KOR) - 1067 points
- Patrick Cantlay (USA) - 1062 points
- Collin Morikawa (USA) - 1014 points
- Shane Lowry (IRL) - 1003 points
- J.T. Poston (USA) - 983 points
- Brian Harman (USA) - 982 points
- Rory McIlroy (NIR) - 975 points
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were elated after the 2024 Zurich Classic win
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have been friends for more than two decades but decided to pair for the 2024 Zurich Classic over a drunken lunch after the 2023 Ryder Cup.
It was McIlroy's 25th Tour title and his third in a debut at a tournament, while it was Lowry's third Tour win overall. After winning the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Lowry said (via PGA Tour):
"We went out there, we had loads of fun, and we won the tournament. You couldn’t ask for a better week."
McIlroy was grateful for his friendship with Lowry and said (via PGA Tour):
"To win any PGA TOUR event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends … Think about where we met and where we've come from, to be on this stage and do this together – just awesome to be able to do it alongside this guy."
This wasn't the first time the Irish golfers paired up. They paired up for the first time at the 2007 European Amateur Team Championship representing Ireland. Before the Zurich Classic, they paired up in the 2021 Olympics. McIlroy said (via PGA Tour):
"I was in a seven-way playoff in Tokyo for a bronze medal, and I've never tried so hard to finish third in my life."
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have also been teammates while playing in the European Ryder Cup.