Shane Lowry saved his best for the very last round of the season posting a career-equal low to brilliantly grab a share of second in the DP World Tour Championship.
Lowry brushed aside his rivals in storming his way from six shots back heading into the final day to record 10 birdies in a nine-under par 63 on the Jumeriah Estates course in Dubai.
The effort was Lowry’s best score since a then European Tour career low of 63 on day three of the 2011 Iberdrola Open before eventually sharing fifth place.
“The golf course was there for the taking as there was not that much wind and the greens were as good of greens as you’ll see,” he said.
“I just felt a low score was out there. I didn’t know I was going to shoot the best score of the season on my last day of the season.
Shane Lowry shoots career equal low of 63 on the final day of the DP World Tour Championship.
“At least it gives me something to smile about going into my Christmas break.”
For a second day running Lowry birdied his opening two holes but then for a second occasion over the four rounds he bogeyed the third and in what would be his only dropped shot of the day.
Lowry then planted the foot down with birdies at seven, eight, 10 and then three in succession from the 13th and then superbly for a third occasion on four days the Clara golfer birdied the uphill par five closing hole.
Lowry’s 18-under par tally gave him the clubhouse lead and with Justin Rose the on-course leader at 19-under par having birdied four of his opening 17 holes.
Lowry, however, then found himself in the lead and no doubt thinking ‘play-off’ when Rose seriously started leaking oil with bogeys at 12, 14 and 16.
It took the brilliance of Irish Open winner, John Rahm to deny both Lowry and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat with a closing bogey-free 67 and win by a shot with his 19-under victory total.
Lowry’s Euro 612,356 was his biggest cash reward since pocketing Euro 660,000 in finishing runner-up in last year’s U.S. Open and with the Dubai showing lifting Lowry overall to 22nd on the Race to Dubai with season earnings of Euro 1.4m.
The result also earned Lowry a place in next year’s Open Championship at Carnoustie for finishing the season top-30 on the money list.
More importantly, Lowry’s best result all season will see him jump from 85th to around 56th on the World Rankings and that much closer to breaking back inside the world’s top-50.
As well, Lowry made a huge jump in the European Ryder Cup standings moving into sixth place behind Justin Rose (1), Tyrrell Hatton (2), Rahm (3) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (4) and the current top qualifiers.
Lowry has, in fact, bumped Paul Dunne back to seventh.
“My iron play has been great over the last while and I’ve given myself lots of chances,” Lowry said.
“The last few weeks, managed to hole a few putts and this week in particular, I felt like I drove it quite well. I felt like my whole game came together this week.
“It was a disappointing finish on Saturday and that really kind of put me out of the running to win the tournament but I finished at 18-under and only just missing out by one shot.
“I’m happy with my results, a few World Ranking points and a few valuable Ryder Cup points, as well.
“So, I’m looking forward to a nice break in the winter and back out in January.”
Dubai is not the end of Lowry’s year as he is teaming with Graeme McDowell for one last event before moving his young family to Florida and that is the December 8th starting QBE (formerly Shark) Shootout in Naples, Florida.
Dunne ended his season with a disappointing last round 75 for a nine-under par total and a distant share of 25th place.
The Greystones man never recovered from a second hole double bogey ‘7’ and also dropping shots at eight and nine before a birdie at the last, and a hole he played in four-under over the four days.
And like Lowry, there will be no rest for Dunne as he was headed straight to Dubai Airport after his round for a flight to Hong Kong and Thursday’s start to the 2017/18 European Tour wrap around new season.
Dunne will join Rose along with Masters champ, Sergio Garcia and new European Tour No. 1 Tommy Fleetwood in the UBS Hong Kong Open.
And the quietly-spoken Dunne’s effort in finishing the year top-30 will see him tee-up alongside the trio next July at Carnoustie.
FINAL RACE TO DUBAI STANDINGS – IRISH
Rory McIlroy – 13th (Euro 1,832,091; 12 events)
Paul Dunne – 16th (Euro 1,695,041; 29 events)
Shane Lowry – 22nd (Euro 1,393, 910; 16 events)
Padraig Harrington – 117th (Euro 311, 005; 12 events)
Graeme McDowell – 137th (Euro 220,552; 10 events)
