Irish Open champ, Shane Lowry is set to join an exodus of playing heading to the PGA Tour School later this year.

The Esker Hills star will travel to Orlando mid-October bunking down in Graeme McDowell’s palatial Florida abode ahead of the October 24^th commencing First Stage of qualifying at the PGA National course at Port St. Lucie near West Palm Beach Gardens.

Irish Open winning Shane Lowry looking to head to the PGA Tour School next month. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

The PGA Tour School will be last of its kind and with players then having to play at least a full season on the secondary Buy.com Tour as the only means from 2014 in progressing to the ultra-lucrative PGA Tour.

However if the current World No. 132^nd breaks into the top-100 in the course of his next three events the Esker Hills star will be exempt into Second Stage commencing the second week of November.

Lowry could either achieve that goal this week by finishing top-three in the BMW Italian Open and then will also have the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (October 4^th to 7^th) and following weeks Portugal Masters to cement a Second Stage tee time.

“The plan at this stage is to head over to the U.S. about the 17^th October and stay with G Mac (McDowell) for a couple of days with practice at Lake Nona, before heading down to Port St. Lucie,” said Lowry.

“I’ve nothing against the European Tour, I love playing in Europe but I just feel I need to give it a chance, especially as this is the last year for Tour School.

“I’ve got my European card secure for next year and while I’m not really in the Dubai World Championship maybe the next few weeks I will feel like it’s something I can really strive for.

“But the thing is if I didn’t do it now, maybe I’d regret it in a number of years.”

Lowry will join a number of players heading to Q-School including Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano but both of whom are inside the top-60 in the world.

However confirmation Lowry will head to the U.S. Tour School comes soon after fellow Irishman Michael Hoey decided against such a move, and along with defending BMW Italian Open winner, Robert Rock who confirmed he also is not comfortable with the thought of playing both tours.