Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry rally to win Zurich Classic team event

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry received a standing ovation at historic, creole French Quarter restaurant Arnaud’s on the eve of their final round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.

They also had the largest, loudest galleries at the TPC Louisiana, where the charismatic, 34-year-old McIlroy, had not previously played.

“He’s getting old, but he still moves the needle a little bit,” Lowry joked as McIlroy chuckled. “Rory brings a crowd and people love him and we’ve gotten a lot of love in New Orleans. We’ve had just the best week.”

McIlroy and Lowry won Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a nervy par on the first hole of a playoff.

Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry lifting a laughing McIlroy off the ground with a bear hug on the green.

“To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends — we’ve known each other for a long, long time, probably like over 20 years,” McIlroy said. “To think about where we met and where we’ve come from, to be on this stage and do this together — really, really cool journey that we’ve been a part of.”