Shane Lowry returns to the Zurich Classic without Rory McIlroy this year, and he has opted to partner up with five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.

Lowry and McIlroy won this event as partners in 2024, Lowry’s most recent win on the PGA Tour. The pair played the event once again last year, but McIlroy has opted out of playing in New Orleans this season, as he opts to focus his preparations on this year’s four majors.

(Judging by his performance at Augusta, that approach is paying off)

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That left Lowry searching for a partner for the event, and his ultimate decision to play with Koepka has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Koepka, the second-winningest golfer of his generation at majors behind McIlroy, does not immediately appear to be a natural fit to play alongside Lowry, with the pair on opposite sides of both the LIV Golf split and the increasingly bitter Ryder Cup rivalry of recent years.

However, the pair have been in flying form in the buildup to the tournament in New Orleans, and Lowry explained their long-standing friendship as the pair chuckled their way through interviews on Wednesday.

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Shane Lowry teams up with Brooks Koepka

As Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka did the media rounds ahead of teeing off at the Zurich Classic, there was one recurring question – how did this partnership come about?

It turns out the pair have been good friends for quite some time, and the partnership came up over casual conversation earlier this year.

“I’ve known Brooks a long time, back from his European days playing the European Tour,” Lowry explained on Wednesday.

You know, I obviously know Ricky, his caddie, very well. Talking to Brooks…we were at Grove. I said to him, I might need a partner for New Orleans. He goes, ‘Well, I’m going to have to play there.’

That was kind of it.

Then I text Ricky a few weeks later, and then I sent it to Brooks. I didn’t see Brooks for another while because we were playing a bit of a different schedule. Then I said to him…’Are we going to tee it up in New Orleans?’ He said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’

The news that Lowry and Koepka are good friends may be a revelation to some golf fans, but evidently they share a close relationship going back to Koepka’s early years playing on the European Tour over a decade ago.

Not only are the pair close, but Koepka believes their games compliment each other well.

“We’ve been friends for years,” Koepka said.

I think we form a really good team. I think the way Shane drives the ball, the way my iron play has been lately, and then Shane’s short game, I mean, I think it’s a pretty good combination.

I like the way we’re going with him hitting off certain holes and me hitting off the other holes. It’s the ones that suit my eye and I think the ones that suit his. I think that’s a huge advantage. Everybody feels comfortable on the holes that we’re going to play.

The clips of the duo conducting various interviews on site were brilliant viewing, with Lowry’s big personality bringing out a new side of Koepka to Irish fans.

Speaking to GOLF.com, Lowry would joke that he had run through several other options before eventually landing on playing alongside Koepka, before making reference to the major-winning trait Koepka has in common with previous partner Rory McIlroy.

I asked about 10 or 12 other guys first and they all said no.

Rory quickly said after last year, I don’t think he wanted to come back. It wasn’t until the end of the year, I was doing my schedule, and I was going to add this in, I knew I had to start looking for a new teammate.

It’s nice to be here. You have to have multiple majors to be able to team up with me at this tournament, so it’s good that he said yes!

Koepka went on to remark that McIlroy was present when Lowry asked him to play at the tournament.

If this partnership ends up as successful as Shane Lowry’s was with Rory McIlroy in 2024, there may be a new Irish golfing fan favourite in Brooks Koepka come Sunday evening.

Shane Lowry commends Charlie Smyth

During Wednesday’s press duties, Shane Lowry was asked about the exploits of another Irish sporting hero thriving Stateside, NFL kicker Charlie Smyth.

Smyth has made his mark with the New Orleans Saints and, with this tournament taking place in the city, it was only natural that Lowry would be asked about his compatriot’s success.

“His story is incredible,” Lowry said.

“He kicked his first football, American football, only in 2023, and now he’s kicking for the Saints. It’s a pretty quick rise to that level of that sport.

“I’ve been following what he’s been doing. He had a couple of pretty cool kind of occasions last season where he kicked the game winner. He’s been doing very well.

It’s just interesting to get to talk to him. He’s only young. God, he’s only 24. Makes me feel quite old, but you know, it’s nice to see Irish people doing well, and especially over here in America. It’s nice to come to these places and seeing young, successful Irish people. I’m going to go and have lunch with him now. I think we’ll stay in touch after this.

I am a fan of football. I really got into it especially last season. I really enjoyed it. Yeah, I said a few weeks ago, I started following the Bears for some reason. I might have to switch over to the Saints now with Charlie, but you never know.

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