Having won the Zurich Classic in 2024 and finishing 12th in 2025, everyone had a lot of expectations from Rory McIlroy and his long-time friend Shane Lowry. But fate had different plans, and Lowry is entering the event with a different partner: Brooks Koepka. The world number two won’t compete at the Zurich Classic for the first time in three years. It’s worth noting that the only times he participated in the event, he teamed up with Lowry. But he opted not to do it this year. 

It is important to note that Rory was injured during round 3 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and was forced to withdraw mid-event. He did play at The Players later, where he finished at T46. It’s likely that McIlroy wants to avoid a similar situation, and the Zurich Classic sandwiched between two signature events was an easy skip.

Players also don’t receive OWGR points from the Zurich Classic. After the New Orleans tournament, the PGA Tour will host the Cadillac Championship and the Truist Championship, both signature events. Two weeks after that, Aronimink Golf Club will host the PGA Championship. If McIlroy teed off at the Zurich Classic, that would’ve meant five consecutive weeks of playing with only a one-week gap before the PGA Championship.

On top of that, the Zurich Classic comes two weeks after the Masters Tournament. As a defending champion, Rory will have a lot of responsibilities at the ANGC. Not to mention, he will be focused on winning the Masters again. Rory hasn’t given an official statement on why he won’t play the Zurich Classic with his longtime friend, but it is safe to assume he doesn’t want to repeat the Arnold Palmer catastrophe by doing too much.

“I’ll always look at the schedule at the start of the year and see what best fits me and my life and everything else that I sort of do, whether it’s with family or other opportunities that I’m pursuing outside of golf,” McIlroy had confessed early this season.

Now, it has opened up an opportunity for Brooks Koepka as Shane Lowry has picked him as his partner for the event. This will be his first time attending the Zurich Classic in the last seven years. He was paired with his brother, Chase Koepka, back then. They finished at T22 and earned $19,609. Now, that’s not the result his playing partner Lowry would want after his and Rory’s win in 2024 and T12 finish in 2025. But it will be interesting to see how the former LIV golfer teams up with the PGA Tour golfer.

It’s not that Brooks is uncomfortable with Shane in any way. “I like Shane, he’s a funny guy, and he’s a character. I enjoy playing with him,” Koepka said back in 2020, as he reflected on the numerous practice sessions during the lockdown. 

Koepka credited Lowry for his driving skills and impressive short game. And Shane Lowry had a similar view of his training partner. “I played with Brooks in lockdown, when we were down at the Floridian and stuff… And it was great. It’s nice to be able to play with some of the best players in the world, and I was fortunate enough to be able to do that during lockdown,” Lowry said. 

Now that the duo can play together again, they’d have to reignite their old friendship at the 2026 Zurich Classic. Both of them have played six events on the PGA Tour in the 2026 season. And while Koepka has garnered only one top-10 finish, Lowry is looking for his fourth top-10 finish. Who knows, it might come at TPC Louisiana in Avondale! 

While this is a pair everyone will look forward to, we will miss Rory and Shane’s bro-code chemistry as well.

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy’s friendship dates back decades

Of course, the chemistry between McIlroy and Lowry would have been perfect for the Zurich Classic. Why? The two grew up together and have known each other for more than two decades. Like any friendship, Lowry and McIlroy had their hiccups. Back in 2013, they split up for about two years after McIlroy left the Horizon Management Company. They didn’t speak because of the rift. But that ended in a reconciliation in 2015 as they met for a few drinks after the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in Belfast. 

Now, they’re considered among the closest friends on the PGA Tour. Even their wives, Erica Stoll and Wendy Lowry, and their children are friends. They hang out together quite often. And the friendship with Rory McIlroy is something that has pushed Lowry towards striving for improvement. Even McIlroy’s victory at the 2025 Masters Tournament greatly inspired Lowry. 

“I count myself fortunate to be good friends of one of the greatest players that’s ever played the game, and I get to watch him do his thing, and I think it really drives me on to be a better golfer,” Shane Lowry admitted on The Late Late Show, back in December 2025. 

Hence, not having Lowry and McIlroy competing together at the Zurich Classic came as a surprise for many. But it’s not like Koepka and Lowry hadn’t teamed up before. They paired up during the COVID-19 lockdown and strengthened their gameplay through practice. 

Now that McIlroy is out of the Zurich Classic, Koepka can look forward to actually winning his first event since his return to the PGA Tour.