Double European Tour winner Shane Lowry has abandoned plans of trying to seek his PGA Tour card.
Lowry ended a more than three winless drought in winning the Portugal Masters and defeating management stable mate, Ross Fisher.
It’s the second time in his career Lowry has beaten an England-born golfer into the runner’s-up role.
New Portugal Masters champion, Shane Lowry flanked by Cecilia Meireles, Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, and George O’Grady CEO of the European Tour. (Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
But while Lowry toasted his success well into the late hours of Sunday night, he’s now made the sober decision to concentrate on the European Tour.
Lowry’s moved to 29th on the Race to Dubai and already staring at his best finish after previously ending 2010 in 62nd position while he ended 2011 in 41st spot.
And now that Lowry has entered next week’s $US 7m BMW Masters in Shanghai and also qualifies for the following week’s $US 7m WGC – HSBC Champions event at Shenzhen the Irish golfer stands the big chance of ending the year inside the top-16 that would afford him entry into next year’s U.S. Open and British Open championships.
So why would Lowry want to put himself through the grind of the U.S. PGA Tour School when he stands a better chance of also breaking into the world’s top-50 by remaining loyal to the European Tour?
“I’ve decided not to go to Tour School now. I’m 74th in the world and I’ve got to back myself to do well and try to get into the top 50 before the end of the year,” said Lowry.
“I’ve now got four huge tournaments in five weeks, with lots of world ranking points. If you get into the top 50 you can pretty much play where you want, so that’s obviously the main goal.
“Going to Q-school was always going to be a bit of a gamble, but I had my card for the European Tour safe before Portugal, but now I’m off to China on Sunday.”
Prior to last week’s victory Lowry was looking to be heading to St. Lucie in Florida later this week to enter the First Stage of PGA qualifying.
But in capturing the Portugal Masters Lowry avoided the First Stage in moving up 54 spots to No. 74 in the world and five places higher that a career high of 79th in July 2012.
Lowry would now be exempt into Second Stage to be held over the period 13th to 17th November, and the week of the UBS Hong Kong Open.
But www.golfbytourmiss.com expects to see the affable Irish golfer also entering the $US 7m Barclays Singapore Open to help further boost Lowry’s chance of that all-important top-16 Race to Dubai finish and the on-going goal of top-50 in the world.
