There was no hiding Shane Lowry’s bitter disappointment after confessing he let slip victory in the British Masters at Woburn.
Despite four rounds in the sixties that included 66, 69, 69 and a last day 67 Lowry was among three players to share second place at 13-under par and two adrift of 21-year old England-born Matt Fitzpatrick.
Shane Lowry gutted to have let slip victory in the British Master.
Picture: Richard Martin-Roberts | Golffile
Fitzpatrick, the youngest player in the field, sealed a maiden Tour success in his 34th Tour event and with his Euro 671,549 first prize cheque lifting him to the top of the Ryder Cup points table.
Lowry singled out the shortest club in his bag as the biggest drawback all week and taking 31 putts on the final day to average just over 30 putts for the week.
“I have never gone away from a tournament feeling like I should have won until today because I should have won this event,” he said.
“My putting was woeful and I holed pretty much nothing all week, always hitting inside 10-feet and hardly making any.
“But I take nothing away from Michael as it’s a great first victory as a pro.”
Lowry went into the last day trailing three behind and managed to get as close as one adrift of the lead with a birdie at the sixth, and the second of five birdies in his round.
However the Bank of Ireland attached pro didn’t leave totally short-changed collecting a prize for Euro 300,464 to move up two spots to fourth on the Race to Dubai and sixth on the Ryder Cup points table.
As well, Lowry will move to just inside the top-20 on the World Rankings and not only cementing his place further in the four Majors next year but also now likely to partner Rory McIlroy in the 2016 Olympic Games and the Ryder Cup.
Niall Kearney (71) and Paul Dunne (68) shared 25th place at six under par and with Dunne’s earnings of Euro 39,487 lifting him 28 spots to 173th on the Race to Dubai but needing to win or finish runner-up in this week’s Portugal Masters.
“Portugal is my only other invitation so if I do wrap up my card then that’s me off to the Tour School,” he said.
Graeme McDowell ended his run of 11 straight under par rounds these last three weeks carding a one over par 72 to finish at five under par and a shot fewer than fellow Irishman Michael Hoey (71).
And Padraig Harrington ended with a 70 for a three under par tally.
