Zurich Classic 2024 LIVE: Tournament format, confirmed pairings, UK tee times and how to follow as McIlory makes event debut

The 2024 Zurich Classic is taking place this weekend as the PGA Tour’s exciting team event returns in New Orleans.

This will be the seventh edition of the tournament which sees 160 golf stars play in teams of two to compete for glory.

McIlroy will be making his Zurich Classic debut this weekCredit: GettyLast year, Nick Hardy and Davis Riley came out on top after finishing 30 under par, fighting off a challenge from Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.

Rory McIlroy is making his first appearance at the event as he teams up with Shane Lowry while former winners Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele have paired up again.

Zurich Classic 2024: Date and start timeThis event is being held from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, April 28.

It will be taking place at the TPC Louisiana in New Orleans.

READ MORE ON GOLFThe action will get underway at 1pm UK time on Thursday and Friday and at 3pm over the weekend.

Zurich Classic 2024: How to follow talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of the event throughout the week.

And talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the latest news.

The action will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf.

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Zurich Classic 2024: FormatThe Zurich Classic is a team stroke play event and sees pairs battle it out over four rounds in two different formats.

The field will compete in best ball (fourball) rounds on the first and third days and then alternate shot (foursome) for the second and fourth rounds.

There will be a cut after Friday’s second round is complete and 33 teams, plus ties, will progress to the weekend.

It is traditionally a high-scoring affair given that each team effectively has two chances on the two best ball rounds.

Zurich Classic 2024: Field and tee timesEach of the top available players from the PGA Tour rankings are allowed to choose their partner after committing to the tournament.

That partner must also have PGA Tour status unless they are chosen as a tournament sponsor exemption.

The Zurich Classic is not a designated event but it still attracts many star names.

80 teams are taking part and the pairings and tee times have now been confirmed here.

McIlroy and Lowry will team up in New OrleansCredit: GettyLast year’s winners Hardy and Riley are paired together again alongside multiple impressive pairs in New Orleans.

McIlroy will play with Lowry while Matt Fitzpatrick plays with his brother Alex.

Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama are pairing up and Cantlay combines with Schauffele again after finishing T4 in 2023.

Will Zalatoris, Sahith Theegala, Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark and Nicolai Hojgaard are among the other star names featuring.

Scottie Scheffler, who has won The Masters and RBC Heritage over the past two weeks, is not teeing it up as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Zurich Classic 2024: What has been said? McIlroy has revealed that he and Lowry decided to play while having lunch together.

He told GOLF.com: “I asked him [to play].

Read More on talkSPORT“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.”