Rory McIlroy could have hardly asked for a better debut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 12 months ago, with the Northern Irishman winning alongside Shane Lowry at TPC Louisiana.
Seemingly off the back of playing alongside each other at the 2023 Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry agreed to team up for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
And it proved to be a very successful first appearance for the 35-year-old. The pair won in a playoff to hand McIlroy his first PGA Tour title of the year.
Of course, by that time, the question was who could keep up with Scottie Scheffler. The world number one had won four times in five starts leading into that event, with the highlight coming with his second Masters victory.
Rory McIlroy explains why the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was so important last year
The trip to Augusta National was a disappointment for McIlroy in his quest to complete the career grand slam. He failed to break 70 all week and finished in a tie for 22nd.
Everyone knows what happened over the following few months, both on and off the course for McIlroy. With that, it seems that his victory at this year’s Masters was even more significant than an all-time great completing the career grand slam.
And speaking in his press conference ahead of the Zurich Classic, McIlroy explained how this tournament came at the perfect time 12 months ago.
“Yeah, if you had asked me a year ago if I’d be sitting here in this position and everything that’s happened. But yeah, I honestly could not be in a better place in my life professionally, personally, all of it,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s amazing what a year can do. Yeah, this tournament last year was a really cool moment for both of us. I think it probably injected a little bit of joy back into golf for me in some way, which I think is really, really important, not to lose that.
“Yeah, for me, I had a great year last year, and I think this tournament was sort of the catalyst to the really good golf that I played for the rest of the year.”
How Rory McIlroy performed after the Zurich Classic in 2024
The standout moment from McIlroy’s 2024 season obviously came at Pinehurst as he missed out on winning the US Open. But he would enjoy an upturn in form as the year went on.
He followed the win in New Orleans by blowing the field away on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship. And he would go on to challenge at a number of events on the DP World Tour, winning the season finale in Dubai.
Of course, he already has three wins under his belt in 2025 – from three iconic golf courses. And it would not be a surprise if he also went on to retain his crown alongside his good friend this week.
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