One of the stranger phenomena in golf is how players can be so exceptional at the Ryder Cup, but fall short in the biggest events individually.
Why is it that Sergio Garcia could be Europe’s most successful Ryder Cup player, but fall short so many times at major championships? How can Tommy Fleetwood consistently step up to the plate for Europe, but only have one PGA Tour win to his name?
And vice versa, how can the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods, struggle so greatly at the Ryder Cup?
Brooks Koepka is partnered with Shane Lowry this week at the Zurich Classic, who has had his fair share of success at the Ryder Cup. And even after playing practice rounds with the Irishman, Koepka can already see why he has so much success in team events.
Lowry is an accomplished individual player, having won the 2019 Open Championship and three times on the PGA Tour. But he’s also shown a tendency to fall apart when the lights get brightest in individual stroke play events.
Just look at the Cognizant Classic this year, where he threw away a three-shot lead in the final three holes.
But in the Ryder Cup, it’s a totally different story. He sank the Ryder Cup retaining putt at Bethpage Black this summer with all the pressure heaped on his shoulders.
Koepka has discovered what makes Lowry such a formidable opponent in team events after just a few days with him at the Zurich Classic.
He said, “It’s interesting because I see a different side to him when we’re playing this event. Even thus far, even in the practice rounds. It’s interesting, I’m not in those team rooms at the Ryder Cup on Europe’s side, but I can see why he plays so well in a team format.
“It makes complete sense when you’re out there. He enjoys it, he thrives off it. When I hit a good shot, he’s got a little more pep in his step and all of a sudden it just snowballs into something good.
“You can even see it, I mean we haven’t even got the juices flowing, but just in the pro-am, you could tell the difference.”
With Koepka’s major-winner experience and Lowry’s team play expertise, this unlikely duo could make for a brilliant pairing this week.
During a Ryder Cup year, the Zurich Classic can be useful preparation for Team USA and Europe, allowing them to test some pairings and build chemistry in team settings.
If Koepka continues to trend in a positive direction, he and Lowry will likely be opponents at Adare Manor next year. So would they have teamed up if there was a Ryder Cup around the corner?
If they win this week, Lowry plans to do exactly that. He said, “Our plan is to win, and we’ll come back and defend next year, and that’s a Ryder Cup year. To be honest, I never even thought about it. I’ve obviously competed against Brooks at the Ryder Cup, but this is just different.”
This is a stroke-play event, not a match-play event, so the dynamic is different. But it would pose an interesting scenario if Lowry and Koepka were to win this week.
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