Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry combined to make a pair of crucial late birdies and hung onto a share of the lead after 36 holes of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Friday in Avondale, La.
The Ulsterman and Irishman posted a 2-under-par 70 in foursomes (alternate shot) in the second round. That moved them to 13-under 131, where they are tied with Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard (70 Friday), David Lipsky and England’s Aaron Rai (70) and Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak (69).
The team event will move back to a four-ball (best ball) format on Saturday before foursomes are played for the final round at TPC Louisiana.
McIlroy and Lowry started their second round on the back nine and had two birdies and two bogeys on their card before sinking consecutive birdies at the par-5 seventh and par-4 eighth. Lowry’s bunker shot at No. 8 rolled to within a few feet of the hole to set up the final birdie.
“I knew if we got through the sixth hole at even par or maybe 1 under coming to the last few holes, I knew 7 and 8 were going to be good chances for us because I knew Rory could drive the green on 8,” Lowry said. “I knew 7 was going to play short. As long as I hit a good drive there, it was going to be a mid-iron for Rory. I knew we had a couple of chances coming in. We managed to take them, and that was nice.”
McIlroy said, “Shane has got a wonderful short game, and it gives me confidence going for those greens whether it be the par-4s or the par-5s that if I get it anywhere up there around the green, I’m going to have a very good look for birdie after he hits his.”
While McIlroy and Lowry are playing the event together for the first time, a more experienced pairing is one shot behind the leaders.
Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot the round of the day, a 5-under 67, to move to 12 under for the tournament. They would be part of the lead had they not taken their only bogey of the day at the 18th hole.
Cantlay and Schauffele won the tournament in 2022 and tied for fourth in 2023.
“We did exactly what we needed to put ourselves in position,” Cantlay told the PGA Tour website. “We’re at halftime now, one back, and I like our spot heading into the weekend.”
Five other teams were part of the tie for fifth with Cantlay and Schauffele: Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, last year’s Zurich runners-up; Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith; Luke List and Sweden’s Henrik Norlander; Zach Johnson and Ryan Palmer; and Englishmen Callum Tarren and David Skinns. All five of those teams shot 69 Friday.
The cut line was 8 under, just five shots off the lead, as 40 of the 80 teams in the field made the weekend. Notables to miss the cut included Sahith Theegala/Will Zalatoris (6 under) and two sets of twin brothers, Pierceson and Parker Coody (5 under) and Denmark’s Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard (5 under).
–Field Level Media
