The Zurich Classic was this weekend, and it remains the sole team-based contest on the PGA Tour schedule. It is unique in that sense, but it is a lot like other tournaments in that it carries a pretty hefty prize purse for its winners. The 2024 tournament had $8.9 million at stake, with each team competing to take home $1.286 million each.
The winning pair ended up being Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. It was a very tight contest through the weekend, but they prevailed. Before most pairs had even teed off on the final afternoon, there were just three strokes between the first and 12th.
This did require a playoff, with McIlroy playing an excellent chip that allowed Lowry to birdie and force a playoff, which they won over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. After one hole, they were the winners as a first-time duo.
Exploring finish of Zurich Classic 2024
It took a playoff, as mentioned, and a stellar comeback for Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic in 2024. It was the first time McIlroy had ever played, only doing so because Lowry convinced him to at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
They topped all duos, including Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard, Ryan Fox and Garrick Higgo, Samuel Stevens and Paul Barjon, Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn as well as Nicolas Echevarria and Max Greyserman, who rounded out the top seven.
Only a few teams didn’t make the cut, as the competition was tremendous all around. The final duo to make it was nine under, showcasing the depth of performance across the board.
Unfortunately, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris were among those who failed to and did not play the final two rounds:
- Tom Hoge and Maverick McNealy
- Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker
- The Coody brothers
- The Hojgaard twins
- Billy Horschel and Tyson Alexander
- Francesco Molinari and Luke Donald
Only one team in the entire competition was above par. Even after making the cut, no one struggled in the final two rounds that much. The last-place pair was still nine under.
