In 2024, Rory McIlroy has added more events to his calendar. He will be competing in the Zurich Classic with Ryder Cup partner Shane Lowry.
In addition to his already packed schedule for 2024, Rory McIlroy has committed to compete in the Zurich Classic for the first time, this time with Shane Lowry.
Starting on April 25, McIlroy will compete in the pairs event at TPC Louisiana alongside Ryder Cup partner Lowry. The European athletes have experience playing in pairs; three years prior, they competed as a duo for Team Ireland in the Tokyo Olympic Games of 2021.
It takes up another week in McIlroy’s schedule, which has been busier than usual this season as he looks to win his first major championship in ten years, beginning with the Masters next month.
Before the forthcoming trip to Augusta, the Northern Irishman will have participated in eight tournaments, which is two more than he did in his previous two seasons. He told Golf Digest earlier this year, referring to his increased workload, “My big thing about Augusta is just to go in there playing well.”
“The weeks leading up to it are crucial for me to feel like I’m performing well. I’m actually going to play more before the Masters this year. That will make this year’s events my ninth or tenth. It was my sixth or seventh before. Hopefully, I’ll be a little more adept and aware of my true abilities.”
Even though this will be his first trip to Zurich, it will be a warm-up for the PGA Championship, which is held three weeks later, following the April Masters. Nearly ten years ago, McIlroy won his last major championship at the PGA, where it was held at Valhalla, this year’s host course.
The Northern Irishman won four majors in three years, including two in 2014, but he hasn’t been able to add to his total since. His final significant play was in the Open Championship held in the summer of last year, where he finished in a tie for sixth after teetering on the edge of contention the entire week.
After finishing in the top ten at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy was questioned about whether his long wait for a major victory was on his mind. However, it seems that his accomplishments outside of the four main events were sufficient to maintain his confidence in his abilities. “I don’t think that way,” he responded to a question about the negative perception of his drought last summer.
“I consider going out and trying to win a fifth Race to Dubai, a fifth Ryder Cup, and a fourth FedExCup here in a few weeks. I simply never stop anticipating.” The 34-year-old will play again at the Valero Texas Open the following week before traveling to Augusta a few days later to try his hand at winning the coveted green jacket for the first time.
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