Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry keen to recharge after running out of steam in New Orleans defence

Rory McIlroy, left, reacts as he and teammate Shane Lowry tee off at the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are looking forward to recharging for the next signature event and the PGA Championship after another poor finish scuppered their bid to retain the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The European Ryder Cup pair went into the final round five strokes behind eventual winners Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin but dropped crucial shots coming home for the third day running and shot a level par 72 to finish six shots behind in a tie for 12th.

Despite picking up birdies at the fifth and par-five seventh to turn in two-under at TPC Louisiana, they were still five shots behind with eight holes to go when play was suspended for 90 minutes due to lightning.

Even when Novak and Griffin bogeyed the eighth and ninth on their return to the course, the Irish duo bogeyed the 13th, 15th and 17th before finishing with a birdie to post on a 22-under total.

“Yeah, it's been a fun week,” McIlroy said. “I think when we went back out after the delay, we felt like we still had a good chance, and we didn't make birdie on 11, and then we bogeyed 13 again for the second time this week.

“Yeah, just didn't really have any momentum from when we started back up again, and it was difficult to just sort of get anything.”

He added: “Overall, it's been a good week. It's always good to team up with this man. We've had fun.”

Lowry was pleased McIlroy agreed to defend just over a week after memorably completing the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters.

“I think we played all right, just today nothing really happened for us, and then after the delay, everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Lowry said.

“I had a great week. I'm happy my man came here this week, and we had a great time, and it was fun.”

They will skip The CJ Cup Byron Nelson this week and return for the Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club before heading for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

“I've got to just take a little bit of time here,” McIlroy said. “It's nice to have a week off, and reset and try to get some practice in.

“I feel like it's like two practice weeks coming up in a way with next week at home and then Truist, as well, in some ways.

“Yeah, I'm looking forward to a couple of days off and then sort of kicking the feet up and trying to recharge the batteries a little bit.”

Just a week after losing to Justin Thomas in a playoff for the RBC Heritage, Novak watched Griffin make a 35-footer for a crucial birdie two at the 17th as they shot 71 to win their maiden titles by a shot from twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard (68) on 28-under.

In the Chevron Championship, Japan’s Mao Saigo made her maiden LPGA win a major when she birdied the first playoff hole to come out on top after an error-strewn five-woman playoff in Texas.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn appeared destined to win when she played her first nine holes in four-under to lead on 10-under.

But she played the back nine in two over, whiffing a chip at the 18th to shoot 71 and end up tied with Saigo (74), Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim (70), China’s Ruoning Yin (71) and American Lindy Duncan (73) on eight-under.

Duncan bogeyed the par-five 18th in sudden death, and after Yin three-putted for par from 12 feet, Saigo watched Kim and Jutanugarn miss for birdie before rapping in her three-foot birdie putt to win.

Leona Maguire shot a pair of 75s at the weekend to tie for 67th on eight-over.

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