Ireland’s Shane Lowry secured his biggest-ever prize check of Euro 527,770 ($US 705,544) shooting a round of 68 for a 13-under par tally to finish one shot behind close friend Rory McIlroy in the BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy remarkably came from seven shots behind to win on European soil for a first time in his pro career shooting a 66 for a 14-under par total on the famed Burma Road course.
Lowry went into the last day trailing five shots behind third round leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark but found himself in the lead when Bjorn took a triple bogey ‘7’ at the par four seventh hole.
Shane Lowry holes a 30-footer for birdie at the last to secure second place as Joost Luiten shows his support for his Irish colleague. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
But after three birdies in a row from the 10th Lowry had his problems in taking a double bogey at the par four 13th hole.
However the former Irish Open and Portugal Masters winner regrouped to birdie 14 and while he dropped a shot at the next, the 26-year old holed a 30-foot birdie at the last to secure second place on his own.
“I’m happy but I know I am going to be sitting in my hotel room tonight and the 13th hole is going to be going through my head,” he said.
“But then walking down 18 I heard a loud cheer, so I knew Rory had made birdie up ahead, so I knew I had to go for the green. It was an ambitious shot but that’s what I am here to do, I’m here to try and win.
“So to finish second on my own is great, it’s a lot of world ranking points, a lot of Race to Dubai points, so I’m happy enough despite the ifs and buts, I suppose.”
Victory would have seen Lowry qualify automatically for next month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst as well as earn a three-year exemption into The Open.
However Lowry will now head around London’s M-25 orbital motorway to Walton Heath where he will join around 100 other players looking to qualify in earning one of a dozen places into the U.S. Open.
