Standing ovations from diners and galleries alike ...Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry had a fun New Orleans week
BIRDIES BROS: Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry celebrate THEIR Zurich Classic of New Orleans VICTORY at TPC Louisiana. Pic: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry received a standing ovation at historic, creole French Quarter restaurant Arnaud’s on the eve of their final round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.
They also had the largest, loudest galleries at the TPC Louisiana, where the charismatic, 34-year-old McIlroy, had not previously played.
“He’s getting old, but he still moves the needle a little bit,” Lowry joked after they'd bagged the Classic title in the first play-off hole, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a nervy par on the first hole of a playoff.
“Rory brings a crowd and people love him and we’ve gotten a lot of love in New Orleans. We’ve had just the best week.”
“To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends — we’ve known each other for a long, long time, probably like over 20 years,” McIlroy said. “To think about where we met and where we’ve come from, to be on this stage and do this together — really, really cool journey that we’ve been a part of.”
McIlroy was winning his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry claimed his third PGA Tour victory. Each walked away with about $1.29 million and 400 FedEx Cup points apiece.
“People have come out in the thousands to support us. It’s not lost on me how cool that is,” McIlroy said. “Every time I get to play in front of thousands of people, the little boy in me just thinks it’s so cool and so exciting.” The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round in windy conditions to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263.
Ramey and Trainer began the day tied for 27th at 16 under and shot to the top of the leaderboard with nine birdies between the seventh and 18th holes. They tied the alternate-shot tournament record of 63, but then had to wait nearly three hours to see if their lead would stand up.
“That was to our advantage,” McIlroy said. “I feel for Martin and Chad a little bit. They played an unbelievable round of golf. To shoot 63 out there in those conditions in foursomes is super impressive.”
The Irishmen bogeyed 17 after Lowry’s faded tee shot landed in the gallery right of the green and McIlroy’s chip over the ridge of a bunker ran past the hole.
That meant they would have to have a birdie on 18 to force a playoff. They got it, starting with McIlroy’s clutch, booming tee shot into the water-lined fairway.
Before leaving the TPC Louisiana grounds, McIlroy and Lowry walked on stage while popular local cover band Bag of Donuts was performing a post-tournament concert. The band gave McIlroy a microphone, and he serenaded the crowd, singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
“The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life,” McIlroy said. “Re-injecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help.”
Added Lowry, who's been struggling for form on the greens: "We both felt like we needed to come in here and maybe have a very strong week because we wanted to get our summer going, and we've got a lot of big golf coming up soon. Would be nice to get that jump up the FedExCup that we both wanted."
There's an added bonus for Lowry with the victory securing entry into the three remaining Signature Events of the season.
"That's great because I wasn't going to be in Quail Hollow. I was hoping to get an invite for Memorial. I was hoping to get an invite there, and Travelers I really didn't know what was going to happen. I knew I needed to make up some FedExCup points, and this gets me in those, and it means I can plan my schedule now. With family stuff and my wife and kids going back to Ireland in the summer, it means I really don't have to stay over here and grind it out too long. I can do more what I feel like I wanted to do. It's freed me up a lot this summer. Hopefully we can both kick on now. We've got three majors left. Hopefully we can get one each, or maybe two and one."
With the wind whipping, the Irish duo didn't have the ideal start and had to show patience on top of finding birdies from five back. "You're sitting there having your breakfast this morning before we go out, and you see the trees out there, it's pretty windy," Lowry said. "Like the boys shooting 63, that is an unbelievable score in those conditions, in that format.
"I think I've gone through a little bit over the last couple months -- few tournaments where I've struggled on the greens a little bit. I changed my putter this week. It feels really good but I'm not trusting it as well as I would like. I missed a couple of short putts that kind of gets me down a little bit, but Rory is there backing me up this week, and he was a great teammate, and he made me believe in myself. It was good to have him there to do that."
And that restaurant ovation Saturday night?
"It was weird for me. That stuff doesn't happen to me."
"It doesn't happen to me, either," said McIlroy.
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