Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry chose the sneaky strategy of golf in four games at the Zurich Classic.
Jack Hirsh/Golf/Taylormade/Srixon
Avondale, Louisiana – Rory McIlroy's challenge in front of New Orleans is very different since winning the Masters and completing a busy week and a half of professional slams.
Instead of being alone this week, McIlroy and Shane Lowry defended their championship at the Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour.
Heading to London and Northern Ireland last week, McIlroy returned to the state on Sunday night and woke up on Monday and caught a cold. He and Lowry didn’t arrive in New Orleans until Tuesday night after suspending practice for Louisiana TPC in the storm in New Orleans.
But McIlroy told Lowry that night he won the Masters and he still plans to play with him in Zurich this week, partly because of the uniqueness of the event.
“It was a fun event to go out with Shane,” McIlroy said Wednesday morning. “I also know that's not all; he also has to do some work. Maybe the next two days. But yeah, it's a perfect match.”
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However, the same uniqueness also presents unique equipment challenges to ordinary PGA Tour golf. There are two four-ball and two four-round matches this week, playing two different golf balls. McIlroy made a high-profile transition from TP5X's TAYLORMADE's softer TP5 earlier this season, while Lowry, who played Srixon's Z-Star XV, needed to pick a ball for the round of backup shooting.
McIlroy and Lowry's sneaky strategy
But it turns out that the defending champion exploited the loophole last year and plans to do the same this year.
“If Shane hits the green, I might hit his golf ball from the tee and vice versa, and if I hits in, he hits my golf ball from the tee,” McIlroy said.
It turns out that the one-goal rule prevents players from changing the golf model in a round at the Zurich Classic and has not been involved in the team format since the game. The rule was also pulled from the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup about 20 years ago.
But even Lowry down the importance of adjustment, especially for tees.
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“We did some tests when we delayed our trip yesterday morning,” Lowry said. “I went to range and we were both practicing at the same location, so both of our golf balls were there, and we did some tests and they were very similar.
“We either can use it, but it’s a quadruple – like we played a lot of quadruple growing up, obviously it’s Ryder cups and stuff, so you kind of figure out how to do it. You drive each other’s golf balls and then drive because driving isn’t the problem. Especially when the wind gets windier, and the wind is spinning, you want to control the ball.
“I think we figured it out last year and we’ll do it this year.”
What are the other teams doing?
However, not every team adopts this strategy. The teams of Jake Knapp (Titleist Pro V1 left DOT) and Frankie Capan III (Titleist Pro V1) will play the left dot of Knapp. Max Greyserman (Callaway Chrome Tour Dot) and Nico Echavarria (Srixon Z-Star XV) will play Greyserman's Chrome Tour Dot.
These teams will make alternative shots on Friday and Sunday. On Thursday and Saturday, players will play their own balls in four goals.
