OFFICIAL: RORY MCILROY MAKES BIG PGA TOUR COMMITMENT.
PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy will make his debut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside his 2023 Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry.
World number two Rory McIlroy will make his debut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans later this month.
It will be the first time McIlroy has played in the team-based PGA Tour event.
Unsurprisingly, McIlroy will take part in the tournament alongside his 2023 European Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry.
McIlroy has made no secret of his desire to play more professional golf tournaments in 2024 to help in his bid to finally end his major drought.
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans will take place over 25-28 April, two weeks after the Ulsterman attempts to win the Masters.
As per information on his official website, McIlroy is scheduled to participate in the Valero Texas Open just a week before his attempt to achieve the grand slam at Augusta National.
Since 2017, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been a PGA Tour event featuring two players. Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are the current title holders, whereas Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay emerged victorious in the previous year.
Tournament organizers will be pleased to hear about McIlroy’s participation, as it will provide a positive impact.
Steve Worthy, who is the CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation organizing the event, mentioned that both players have experience competing for Europe in the Ryder Cup, so they are familiar with playing as part of a team.
“It’s always fun to see close friends partner in our unique format, and with their experience they will be both fan and on-course favourites.”
At the time of writing, it is also unclear whether McIlroy will tee it up at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links over 18-21 April.
McIlroy was in the field last year but withdrew after his horrific showing at the 2023 Masters.
The decision was a costly one for McIlroy as it meant he reportedly missed out on 25 per cent of his 2023 player impact program bonus [PIP] bonus.
Scroll down…
“Last year, PGA Tour players could only skip one of the prestigious events in order to qualify for the full amount of their PIP bonus.”
McIlroy decided to skip the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, and as a result, it is said that he missed out on earning $3,000,000 in PIP money. “It is not certain whether McIlroy was formally fined the money.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan stated that he had the authority to make decisions on these issues.”
The regulations, structure, and release date of TGL have officially been established, adding to the latest updates regarding McIlroy.
TGL was originally planned to be launched in January, but it was delayed by a year due to storm damage at its Florida facility.
