AVONDALE, La. — Rory McIlroy, currently the second-ranked golfer in the world, has announced that he will make his first appearance ever at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this coming April.
McIlroy will team with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry in the partner format.
McIlroy is a four-time major champion, while Lowry also has a major, the 2019 British Open.
“Both of these players have competed for Europe in Ryder Cup competition, so they are very accustomed to team play,” said Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation.
McIlroy has been one of the most successful players on tour the past decade with 24 wins on the PGA Tour and another 17 worldwide.
McIlroy turned professional at age 17, after declining a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University when he was only 15. His first win on the DP World Tour came when he was 19 in 2009 and his first victory on the PGA TOUR came just a year later in 2010. At 22, he became the youngest player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the DP World Tour. In 2012, he became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA TOUR.
The Zurich Classic will be held April 25-28 at the TPC course in Avondale, Louisiana. It is the only "team format" tournament that is part of the PGA Tour.
Before coming to New Orleans, McIlroy will be trying to win his first green jacket at the Masters. That would give him a career grand slam, a feat that only five other golf greats have accomplished.
