Rory McIlroy says he wasn't going to let a cold or post-Masters fatigue stop him from joining friend Shane Lowry to defend their title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Rory McIlroy is barely a week and a half from the defining victory of his professional life, and he’s still riding the shock waves and coasting on the glory of a green jacket. “It's not every day you get to fulfill one of your lifelong goals and dreams,” he said Wednesday, “and I've just really tried to enjoy everything that comes along with that.”