Zurich Classic organisers have Rory McIlroy in stitches on first tee with funny introduction for Masters champion

Zurich Classic organisers helped Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry feel right at home in New Orleans on Saturday by belting out their favourite tune on the opening tee box.

Superstar Irish duo McIlroy and Lowry are defending champions in the popular team event following their brilliant win last year.

The pair beat Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a play-off at TPC Louisiana last April to secure a fan-favourite victory.

In true Irish style, McIlroy and Lowry celebrated long into the night and were filmed downing beers and singing karaoke classic ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.

They have teamed up again to try and defend their title and are right in the mix to do just that heading into Sunday’s final round.

And ahead of Saturday’s opening drives, event bosses put Journey’s 1981 anthem on the loud speakers as McIlroy and Lowry stepped onto the first tee box.

It left the pair in stitches of laughter, no doubt bringing memories flooding back of their boozy celebrations last spring.

The Irish team will now be fully focused on trying to jump up the leaderboard on Sunday and overhaul their rivals to claim back-to-back wins.

They start the day at 22-under-par following Saturday’s superb 61.

Americans Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin lead at 27-under but there are plenty of other pairs in contention on a crowded leaderboard.

And Sunday’s finale is set to be a hectic and exciting race to the finish line as the Zurich Classic format switches back to foursomes.

Rounds 1 and 3 were played as fourballs, where each player plays their own ball and the lowest score contributes to the team total.

But Rounds 2 and 4 are foursomes – or alternate-shot – where the teams must take it in turns to play the same ball.

It usually produces plenty of mistakes but also moments of brilliance and McIlroy and Lowry will be hoping to combine well again to take victory.

On Saturday, Lowry eagled the par-five seventh as the Irish stars picked up six shots on the outward nine, before adding four more birdies on the back nine.

They dropped a shot on the 17th but that was followed by a 30-foot eagle at the last from McIlroy after a 90-minute delay because of lightning.

“I was pretty happy to have Rory go out and eagle the last there,” said Lowry.