Fresh off his triumphant Masters victory, Rory McIlroy is set to make his first competitive appearance wearing the coveted Green Jacket as he teams up with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry to defend their Zurich Classic title.
The Irish duo, who claimed victory in a playoff last year, enter this week's team event as overwhelming favorites with +360 odds, significantly shorter than their +750 price from last season. Their favorable position is partially due to the absence of former champions Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who won't be participating in this year's tournament.
A substantial gap exists between McIlroy and Lowry and their nearest competitors in the betting markets. Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama stand as second favorites despite their recent struggles – Morikawa finished only T54 at Harbour Town last week, while Kitayama hasn't secured a top-30 finish since October.
According to Statbet, McIlroy's Masters victory two weeks ago ended what had been the longest major championship drought of his career, spanning 11 years since his previous major title.
Several other partnerships are clustered in the +2000 to +2500 range, including Aaron Rai teaming with Sahith Theegala at 24/1 odds. Billy Horschel, who previously won this event in 2018, will compete alongside new partner Tom Hoge, with the pair also listed at 24/1.
All eyes will undoubtedly be on McIlroy and Lowry as they attempt to become the first team to successfully defend a Zurich Classic title since the tournament adopted its current team format.
