Rory McIlroy prepared for Zurich Traditional of New Orleans debut: Format and key questions on PGA Tour's group occasion

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Rory McIlroy will associate Shane Lowry on the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans, stay on Sky Sports activities, with a “drunken lunch” resulting in the previous world No 1 making his debut on the PGA Tour group occasion.

McIlroy is the highest-ranked participant in motion at TPC Louisiana, the place the highest 80 accessible within the PGA Tour standings getting to select their enjoying associate for 4 days of group competitors.

The Northern Irishman’s look is his seventh begin in 9 weeks and fourth consecutive occasion, with McIlroy trying to bounce again from a gradual begin to the PGA Tour season and a disappointing end to the RBC Heritage.

McIlroy and Lowry have each been a part of the final two Ryder Cup groups, enjoying collectively throughout one session of the 2021 defeat at Whistling Straits, whereas a dialog after Europe’s victory in Rome final September resulted in them teaming up collectively this week.

“Very excited,” McIlroy informed Golf.com final month. “I requested him [Lowry]. We had this actually drunken lunch the week after the Ryder Cup final yr. I mentioned to him, ‘Do you need to play Zurich collectively?’ We’re like, ‘Yeah’.

“His former associate is now on the Champions Tour, Pádraig Harrington. I’ve by no means performed earlier than so I am wanting ahead to it.”

Who else is enjoying this week?

Ryder Cup team-mates Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele look to win the occasion for a second time, having claimed a two-shot victory in 2022, whereas Matt Fitzpatrick companions brother Alex and the Hojgaard brothers – Rasmus and Nicolai – additionally type to make a group.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald groups up with Francesco Molinari, who served as a vice-captain in Rome and retains his position for subsequent yr’s contest, with two-time main champion Collin Morikawa pairs up with Kurt Kitayama.

Former winner Billy Horschel – who received the Corales Puntacana Championship on Sunday – companions Tyson Alexander, as Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala be a part of forces and defending champions Nick Hardy and Davis Riley return.

How does the occasion work and what’s the format?

The 80 two-man groups function in fourballs through the opening spherical, the place gamers every play their very own ball and the most effective rating on every gap from the pair goes in the direction of the group whole, then the format switches to foursomes play for the second spherical.

Foursomes sees every group use one ball, with one participant hitting tee pictures on all of the odd-numbered holes and the opposite on the even-numbered ones. The gamers then hit alternate pictures, with the whole strokes taken ensuing within the group’s rating for that gap.

The highest 33 groups and ties progress to the weekend, the place the groups revert to fourballs for the third spherical and foursomes for Sunday’s ultimate spherical. Ought to the event finish in a tie after 72 holes, the codecs will change between the 2 totally different codecs for every gap required for the sudden-death playoff.

What’s the prize?

The gamers within the successful group will each obtain a two-year winner’s exemption on the PGA Tour and can be eligible for subsequent month’s PGA Championship, plus enhance their hopes of qualifying for PGA Tour Signature Occasions.

FedExCup factors and prize cash can be awarded to groups making the reduce, with every group member receiving an equal share for his or her ultimate place, though no world rating factors are on provide.

Every participant within the successful group will earn 400 FedExCup factors and a file $1,286,050 prize cash, with the remainder of the $8,900,000 purse awarded to groups based mostly on combining each two positions from the distribution desk for the standard PGA Tour occasion.

When is the event on Sky Sports activities?

Sky Sports activities will present over 30 hours of stay motion throughout the 4 event days, with early protection from 1pm on Thursday and a couple of.15pm on Friday forward of full protection from 8.30pm.

Weekend protection begins at 4pm on each days on Sky Sports activities Golf, forward of the primary protection getting beneath approach at 6pm and providing 5 hours of stay motion from every of the ultimate two rounds.

The PGA Tour motion is a part of a quadruple-header of stay golf to get pleasure from this week, with the DP World Tour’s ISPS Handa Championship, the Girls European Tour’s South African Ladies’s Open and the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship all stay on Sky Sports activities Golf.

Who will win the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans? Watch all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection begins with Featured Teams on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, forward of full protection from 8.30pm.

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