Brooks Koepka's new partnership might surprise you. It shouldn't
Of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry’s Zurich Classic partnership, Lowry said, “To the outside it might not look like it makes sense.”
golf.comHere’s the latest on Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka teaming up.
- They teamed up for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2026 after Rory McIlroy withdrew, with Lowry pairing with Koepka rather than his previous partner.[3][5]
- Lowry explained the partnership origin on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, saying he knew Koepka and approached him through Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott, noting they were both available for the event.[2]
- Golf outlets reported this was a Ryder Cup–styled collaboration: Lowry and Koepka are close friends who live near each other in Florida, and their pairing generated significant attention given their contrasting backgrounds and majors between Europe and the U.S..[5][7]
- Pre-event coverage highlighted their aim to win Zurich Classic and suggested the pairing could surprise some observers due to their different careers, but they both voiced confidence in their chemistry and shared goals.[7][8]
Illustration of the setup:
- Zurich Classic format: 80 two-player teams compete in a mix of alternate-shot and best-ball formats across four rounds, which suits a pairing like Lowry–Koepka who can blend methodical ball-striking with aggressive play.[10]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise, up-to-date summary with direct quotes and a quick list of outcomes from the Zurich Classic rounds.