Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will attempt to make history at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans later this year.
The pair will return to the event at TPC Louisiana from April 24 to 27.
GettyThe pair won the team tournament in Louisiana last year[/caption]
McIlroy won the team tournament on debut alongside Lowry in 2024 thanks to a ‘drunken lunch’ the pair had after Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph months earlier.
The world number three told Golf.com ahead of last year’s tournament: “I asked him [to play].
“You know it was actually, we had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year, and I said after, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?’ And we were like, yeah, let’s do it.”
However, no team has won back-to-back editions of the Zurich Classic since the current format was introduced in 2017.
A field of 80 two-man teams will take part in the event, which is scheduled for two weeks after the Masters.
The top 33 after the opening two rounds of fourballs and foursomes will advance to the weekend.
Another set of fourballs and foursomes will then crown the winners.
McIlroy and Lowry triumphed over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a play-off 12 months ago.
Tournament director Steve Worthy has welcomed their return, explaining: “Rory and Shane seemed to truly enjoy their experience in New Orleans, and it showed in their play.
“Their history with team golf couldn’t have hurt, and we are excited to have them back in a Ryder Cup year.”
The event comes as part of a blockbuster stretch of action in the golfing calendar.
McIlory will bid to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta a fortnight beforehand as the year’s first Major is held.
The RBC Heritage is then scheduled for the following week before he teams up with Lowry in Louisiana.
Victory at the Masters would be McIlroy’s first Major win since 2014 and his fifth overall.
The 35-year-old has already triumphed on the PGA Tour this year after picking up his 27th title earlier this month.
McIlroy beat Lowry by two strokes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to scoop $3.6million (£2.85million) in prize money.
