Team Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka are eight strokes off the lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after a disappointing back nine on the birdie-blitz format of fourball bestball at TPC Louisiana.
Lowry contributed the majority of the team’s birdies on the front nine as his playing partner struggled, Koepka’s only birdie of the day coming on the 10th hole. The duo failed to make a birdie on the final eight holes as they signed for a six-under-par 66. By comparison, the leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer shot a 14-under-par 58 which included 12 birdies and an eagle.
Lowry won the tournament with Rory McIlroy as his partner in 2024, but with McIlroy opting to skip the tournament, Lowry has opted to team up with another multiple Major winner in Koepka.
Ireland’s Séamus Power fared better than Lowry with a nine-under-par 63 alongside German Matti Schmid. The players play fourball betterball for the first and third days, with foursomes for the second and fourth days.
In the first LPGA Tour Major of the year, world number one Nelly Korda leads by two after a seven-under-par 65 in the Chevron Championship in Houston.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire faces a battle to make the cut after her first round unravelled with a back nine of 40, with five bogeys in her final seven holes as he shot a four-over-par 76.