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.
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According to his official website, McIlroy will also play in the Valero Texas Open a week before attempting to win the grand slam at Augusta National.
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been a two-man PGA Tour event since 2017.
Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are the defending champions whilst Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay won the year prior.
The news of McIlroy's addition will be a welcome boost for tournament organisers.
Steve Worthy, chief executive of the Fore!Kids Foundation which runs the event, said: "Both of these players have competed for Europe in Ryder Cup competition, so they are very accustomed to team play
"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.
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PGA Tour players were only allowed to miss one of the elevated events to be eligible for the entirety of their PIP bonus last year.
McIlroy chose not to play Sentry Tournament of Champions last January and therefore his decision reportedly cost him $3,000,000 in PIP money.
It is unclear if McIlroy was ever officially docked the money. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan later said he had discretion over such matters.
In other McIlroy news, the rules, format and launch date of TGL has finally been confirmed.
TGL was supposed to launch in January but was pushed back a year after storm damage to its Florida facility.
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