By Roy J. Akers-www.skyviewsports.net
Defending champions Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry start steady with 64 at Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Rory McIlroy has plenty of reason to celebrate this week alongside good pal Shane Lowry, as the duo are the defending champions of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
But for the first time ever, the first-tee starter at TPC Louisiana also added an awfully special new descriptor for McIlroy – Masters champion.
“I was glad they remembered THE PLAYERS as well,” McIlroy said with a smile, “It seems like a distant memory at this point.
“Look, very nice. I could get used to it.”
That was a good start for McIlroy, and he and Lowry got off to their own good start Thursday with an 8-under 64.
Low scores were to be had in the opening round – Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard tied the Four-ball scoring record with a 13-under 59 before the team of Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo broke it with a 14-under 58 about an hour later – but the defending-champion duo were happy enough with their Thursday effort.
0:31
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.692.0_en.html#fid=goog_2076505935Play Video
Shane Lowry chips in for birdie from 33 feet at Zurich Classic
“Shane got off to a really good start. I didn’t do anything,” McIlroy said with a laugh. “Shane joked I could have got a couple extra hours in bed if I wanted to. I played a bit better coming in. It was okay. We felt like we left a few shots out there, but we were just saying the two Foursomes days on Friday and Sunday here are the important days in this tournament, and it’s important for us to obviously post a good score tomorrow.”
Lowry made birdies on three of the team’s first four holes (they started on the back nine) before saving a par on No. 14 after McIlroy made bogey. Lowry added one more birdie on the par-5 18th before the duo made the turn and McIlroy finally got on the board with a birdie on No. 1 and an eagle on No. 2.
Lowry added another birdie on No. 3 before both Lowry and McIlroy knocked their tee shots in the water on the par-4 sixth en route to making a bogey. McIlroy got that shot back with a birdie on the next hole, the par-5 seventh, before the pair parred in the rest of the way.
0:35
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.692.0_en.html#fid=goog_2076505934Play Video
Rory McIlroy drains 20-footer for birdie at Zurich Classic
“You always know in Four-ball, especially early Thursday morning, the golf course is probably going to play at its easiest. You’ve got to get out there and shoot a score,” Lowry said. “We got off to a nice start and then we got a little bit slow towards the end of the front nine and then we caught fire – Rory caught fire early on our back nine and then we lost a bit of momentum towards the end.
“It was one of those days where you do want to go low, (but) I think the two Foursomes days in this tournament are huge. That’s what separates the field. Hopefully we can go out tomorrow and shoot a good score and work from there to the weekend.”
No team has ever gone back-to-back at the Zurich Classic, and while there were a few missteps Thursday, McIlroy and Lowry feel like they’ve done enough to keep the foot (well, feet) on the gas heading into the weekend.
“I think sometimes every par you make feels like a bogey on these sorts of days, but then again, you have to remember that (Friday) and Sunday are the important days,” McIlroy said. “And if you can shoot good scores on those days, you can move up the board pretty quickly.”
