Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry falter in final round of Zurich Classic of New Orleans

“I honestly could not be in a better place in my life, professionally, personally, all of it,” said Rory McIlroy after his Masters victory. But the feeling would have been better if the victory count was on the rise, similar to what fans expected. Then came the Zurich Classic after his recent green jacket achievement, and fans highly anticipated a similar feat. However, the performance saw a dip in comparison to the teams that started off with setting course-low records. McIlroy and Shane Lowry, after two rounds, were placed at T16 and were far behind the contention for the title.

The duo then showcased a strong comeback to sit right close to the leaders after a round of 61. They carded 8 birdies and one eagle, achieving the score and raising the hopes of fans. But in the final round, with just two birdies, the expectation of defending the title was crushed, and they had to accept the loss to Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin.

After the loss, Lowry shared gratitude, saying, “I think we played all right, just today nothing really happened for us, and then after the delay we just went — everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I had a great week. I’m happy my man came here this week, and we had a great time, and it was fun.” Accepting the performance, Lowry, who earlier recorded a runner-up finish in 2025, has absorbed the loss and shared gratitude towards it.

On the other hand, McIlroy has shared his plan for the season. He said, “I’ve got to just take a little bit off time here. It’s nice to have a week off, and yeah, reset and try to get some practice in. I feel like it’s like two practice weeks coming up in a way with next week at home and then Truist, as well, in some ways.” The recent Grand Slam winner has earlier shared about his limited presence at the course. Even until now, he has only featured in 7 events, out of which in 3 namely AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, THE PLAYERS Championship, and The Masters Tournament, he has claimed victory.

However, after failing to defend, can the golfer achieve the unmatched feat at the Quail Hollow Club?

Rory McIlroy’s feature at the fortress

McIlroy has observed some gut-wrenching losses in his career, but what sets him apart is his persistence. The golfer who waited for a decade with persistence clinched victory at the final major to earn the career grand slam. Well, now away from that win, the golfer will be aiming to create history with his next appearance. After a week’s break, he will be in action at the Truist Championship, which has been his fortress.

Previously known as the Wells Fargo Championship, the Northern Irishman won it four times. He first won it in 2010 and became the youngest on the tour to win after Tiger Woods in 1996. Following that, he won the second in 2015 with a huge margin of 7 strokes. Having the exceptional feat of becoming a repeat champion, he continued to increase it in 2021 and 2024. Now, in 2025, the reigning champion will feature the course with a new name tournament, but with the same history to follow.

But after his upset of failing to defend the title at the $9.2 million championship, can Rory McIlroy change that at the Truist Championship? What are your thoughts on it? Share with us in the comments below.