In a thrilling showdown at the Zurich Classic 2024, the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry emerged victorious in a playoff against the USA’s Chad Ramey and the Frenchman Martin Trainer. Despite Ramey and Trainer faltering with a bogey on the 18th hole, handing the advantage to the favored Irish pair, both teams finished with a final score of -25.
Zurich Classic, news
This triumph marks a historic first for McIlroy and Lowry in New Orleans (or more precisely, Avondale, Louisiana). Even in the event’s previous individual format before its transformation into a team competition in 2017, they had never claimed victory.
Securing the third spot were Mark Hubbard and Ryan Brehm representing the USA, just one stroke behind the leaders. In the quarterfinal group, other notable pairs such as Higgo/Fox, Stevens/Barjon, Blair/Fishburn, and Echavarria/Greyserman all finished at -23.
At -22, the pairings of Sigg/Hadley and Detry/MacIntyre rounded out the top positions, with Taylor/Hadwin representing Canada finishing in tenth place. Looking ahead, golf enthusiasts can anticipate a return to normalcy with the upcoming CJ Cup in McKinney, Texas.
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a prestigious golf tournament held in Louisiana on the PGA Tour. Established 86 years ago in 1938, it has been an annual event since 1958, typically taking place in the early to mid-spring. The tournament is hosted at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, a suburb southwest of New Orleans, and is sponsored by the Zurich Insurance Group, organized by the Fore!Kids Foundation.
Over the years, the prize money for the Zurich Classic has seen significant increases, with the first prize reaching five figures in 1965, six figures in 1988, and surpassing the million-dollar mark in 2006. In 2022, the winning team received over $2.39 million in prize money.
A notable change occurred in 2017 when the Zurich Classic transitioned into a team event, featuring eighty pairs. Each team consists of one member initially chosen via the Tour priority rankings, with their partner either being a PGA Tour member or earning entry through a sponsor exemption. The tournament follows a stroke play format, with alternate shot (foursome) being played in the first and third rounds, and better ball (fourball) in the second and fourth rounds. The cut line is set at 33 teams, plus ties. While the winners earn 400 FedEx Cup points and two-year exemptions, they do not receive invitations to the Masters, and no world ranking points are awarded for the event.
In 2018, the format underwent a slight modification, with fourball being played in the first and third rounds, and alternate shot in the second and fourth rounds, adding to the excitement and variety of the tournament.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login