Rory McIlroy!? He’s no Steve Perry, but who is? TPC Louisiana was lit after Rory and his longtime lad Shane Lowry teamed up to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and one of the greatest golfers of all-time decided to take the stage for a karaoke-on-steroids rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey.
The crowd was loving it, and why wouldn’t they?
Atta way, Rors. Blow off some steam. You deserve it. Years of being the poster boy for the PGA Tour in their futile attempts to hold off the inevitable, financial tidal wave of LIV Golf that could buy the PGA Tour many times over. All the pressure around this month to finally cap off the career Grand Slam at The Masters (it didn’t happen. Again.). Nothing like playing with one of your best mates and winning in a playoff with such an enthusiastic, supportive gallery looking on.
And to get on the mic for some Journey with many adoring fans as the cherry on top? What a week.
The Zurich Classic marks Rory’s second victory of 2024, with the first coming in the Dubai Desert Classic. He finished third at the Valero Texas Open the week before The Masters, and sadly, just didn’t have his A-game at Augusta National to fare any better than a tie for 22nd. I say this to my golf-loving friends all the time. If I were him, and I’d achieved what he did at such a young age, it’d be tough to get up for any given tournament. He pretty much won everything a golfer could ever want to by the time he turned 30, save for maybe a handful of prestigious events.
It’s nice to see this wholesome brand of team golf, as opposed to LIV. They have a good idea for it in theory, but the execution sucks. Everyone already has a massive payday regardless of where they finish in the tournament, there’s no cut at those 54-hole events, and the stakes feel so damn low. This little glimpse we get at teamed-up pairs in New Orleans every year always makes for a good time. Too bad the next Ryder Cup isn’t until 2025 at Bethpage Black in New York. My body is ready for more Rory-Lowry shenanigans already.
How about a little closer view!?
I gotta say, I did not expect Rory to have these kind of pipes. Of all the 80s songs he could turn to, he chose one of the most difficult to sing — and actually pulled it off pretty well, considering he had to scream-sing over the raucous crowd. Not to mention, he had to be yelling from the celebration of winning as it was. Crushing Michelob Ultras also makes for a greater singing challenge. That’s right. I’m pulling out all the stops and factors at play to underscore how impressive Rory was.
The man is a legend, what else can be said? Now if he can just get his hands on that green jacket. Maybe partying the week of The Masters while the tournament is going on is the way to go. I don’t know. Try anything at this point, Rory. A Masters triumph needs to happen. Like years ago. Save us from Scottie Scheffler.
