Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry 6 back in Zurich Classic defense

AVONDALE, La. — Rory McIlroy, playing for the first time since winning the Masters, teamed with Shane Lowry to shoot an 8-under 64 in better-play Thursday in the Zurich Classic, leaving the Irish defending champions six shots behind leaders Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo.

PGA Tour rookies Salinda and Velo opened with a tournament-record 58 in the tour’s only team event. Danish identical twins Nicolai and Rasmus Holgaard were a shot back. The teams will play alternate shot Friday, better ball Saturday and alternate shot Sunday.

A large gallery gathered on the 10th tee at TPC of Louisiana before 8 a.m. to see McIlroy. Shaking off an early-week illness, he provided a few highlights after a relatively slow start.

“It was brilliant to see so many people out there on a Tuesday morning,” McIlroy said. “It’s always nice to play in front of a supportive, enthusiastic crowed, and looking forward to doing more of that over the next few days.”

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Lowry carried the team early, birdieing three of the first holes after their back-nine start and adding another on the par-5 18th.

McIlroy’s first birdie came on a nearly 20-foot putt on No. 1, which he celebrated with a light-hearted fist-pump.

McIlroy followed that with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, hitting a 6-iron from 204 yards to 5 feet to get to 8 under.

They added a birdie on the fourth but both pulled tee shots left in the water on No. 6 and both made bogey. McIlroy settled for birdie on the par-5 seventh after narrowly missing a 20-foot eagle putt.

“I think sometimes every par you make feels like a bogey on these sorts of days, but then again, you have to remember that tomorrow and Sunday (alternate shot) are the important days, and if you can shoot good scores on those days, you can move up the board pretty quickly,” McIlroy said.

Salinda and Velo played the front nine in 10 under, with Salinda’s eagle on No. 7 and eight birdies. They added four birdies on the back nine, but parred three of the last four.

“Very easy to play when golf when you have a partner that’s stacking it and making a lot of putts,” Velo said. “A few really clutch par saves that he had on the back nine, and it was a very, very solid day.”

Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama were tied for third at 61 with the teams of Cam Davis-Adam Svensson, Paul Peterson-Thomas Rosenmueller and Kris Ventura-Antoine Rozner.

Adam Schenk had an albatross on the seventh, holing out from 231 yards. Schenk and Tyler Duncan shot 63.

Yannik and Jeremy Paul of Germany, the other identical twins in the field, shot 67.