Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry hit front as a pair in Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have been in hot form as a pair at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Brian Keogh

Rory McIlroy knows a team is stronger when it plays to its strengths, and it worked out of him on and off the course in the space of 24 hours.

As DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings confirmed LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm will remain eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup without the need for a rules change, McIlroy’s power and Shane Lowry’s phenomenal short game made up for their weaknesses in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Lowry’s shoulders started to slump at TPC Louisiana when he missed short birdie putts at par-five 18th and second holes, then bunkered his tee shot at the short third, leading to a bogey that left them two shots off the pace in the day two foursomes.

But with McIlroy encouraging him, the Offaly man made a 12-footer for par at the fourth, chipped close at the seventh and hit a bunker shot tight at the driveable eighth to set up back-to-back birdies which saw them card a two-under 70, leaving them tied at the top with David Lipsky and Aaron Rai on 13-under.

“I think (there’s) a bit of a lesson there for myself to kind of keep going and just keep trying and keep plugging away. We did that today, and I’m pretty happy how we finished,” said Lowry.

The 2025 Ryder Cup may come too soon for Tom McKibbin, but the Holywood star continues to shine, carding a six-under 64 to lie just three shots behind Sam Bairstow, Yannik Paul, Sebastian Söderberg and Japan’s Taihei Sato at halfway in the ISPS Handa Championship at Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course in Japan.

In Abu Dhabi, Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy shot a four-under 68 to sit just four shots behind leader Joshua Berry on seven-under the UAE Challenge.

At the Investec SA Women’s Open, Olivia Mehaffey roared home in five-under 31 to make the cut with a shot to spare.