Shane Lowry will head to the PGA Tour Qualifying School later this month in Florida at the expense of possibly forfeiting a place in the season-ending Dubai Tour Championship.
It will mean the 2009 Irish Open winner passing up the riches in the last event of the Race to Dubai for a priceless PGA Tour card.
Shane Lowry prepared to swap Race to Dubai riches for priceless PGA Tour card. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Lowry has just two events, this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and next week’s Portugal Masters, before teeing up in the First Stage of qualifying from October 24th to 27th on the Wanamaker course at the PGA Golf Club in St. Lucie, Florida.
The Esker Hills golfer, who posted a second straight 69 in the Scottish event to move to six under par, had hoped to avoid the four-round First Stage when entries closed two days before the commencement of last week’s Ryder Cup.
Unfortunately, Lowry’s current of 123rd ranking, and outside of the top-100, meant not being exempt straight into Second Stage.
Hurting Lowry also was failing to qualify for either the U.S. Open or British Open as any player who contested a Major this year, no matter their result, was also exempt to Second Stage.
So Lowry has paid $US 2,500 for the privilege of joining some 77 other players and looking to be among the top dozen or so advancing to November’s second stage from November 14th to 17th.
And if again successful, it’s through to Final Qualifying from November 28th to 3rd December.
“I’ve got this week’s event here in Scotland and Portugal next week, and then it’s off to Stage One,” he said.
“If I get through to second stage the problem will come if I make the top-60 for the finish of the Race to Dubai.
“And if I get into Final qualifying the problem is that starts the Wednesday after Dubai and that would be a long journey to make.
“It will be a tough decision, but first of all I have got to get through to final stage then I will think about it.
“So if I did go right through to Final Stage, this week’s event and Portugal could be my last European tournaments of the year.”
South African Branden Grace extended his lead to five shots with a 67 to move to 17-under par on day two of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
