RORY MCILROY AND Shane Lowry will tee off in the penultimate group for the final round of the PGA Tour Zurich Classic in New Orleans on Sunday.
McIlroy caught fire with six birdies on his own ball in the last 10 holes, giving the pair an eight-under par 64 to move to -21.
That leaves them in a tie for third place, two shots behind leaders Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn (-23) ahead of Sunday’s final round of alternate-shot foursomes.
Luke List and Hendrik Norlander are second on -22, while McIlroy and Lowry will play alongside Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard (-21) on Sunday, teeing off at 6.44pm Irish time.
“We got off to a slow start, and then Rory McIlroy turned up on the ninth hole,” Lowry told CBS Sports afterwards.
It was all him from there on in, and I was just there enjoying the ride.”
After starting out two-under through their first eight holes, McIlroy ignited their charge with a short birdie putt at the par-three ninth.
A beautifully judged approach to the 10th left him with just inches for birdie, before he left himself with another short putt at the 11th to make it three in a row.
With his short game dialled in, another birdie on 13 moved them to six-under for the day and -19 for the tournament.
And after Lowry found water off the tee on the par-four 16th, McIlroy held his birdie putt from all of 25 feet to keep the charge going.
Teamwork makes the dream work!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 27, 2024
After Shane Lowry's ball found the water, @McIlroyRory stepped up to the plate with a clutch birdie @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/cgsibgJpsl
The final act of a brilliant back nine was a lovely up-and-down from the greenside bunker for a final birdie on 18, earning a fist pump from Lowry as the pair now eye a Sunday challenge.
“We sort of know what makes the other one tick in some ways,” McIlroy reflected afterwards. “We’ve known each other for 25 years.
“I think it’s good to be out there with a friend. He tries to keep me positive at times, and I have to try to keep him positive at times, and it’s worked really well for the first three days.”
