For a second straight season PGA Tour rookie Shane Lowry is skipping this year’s Desert Swing in favour of the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing.
Lowry has a week off after helping steer Europe to victory in Sunday’s 13-point European demolition of an Asian Tour team.
He will then head to California hoping to strike gold in three huge events this year for the PGA Tour pro – the Olympic Games, the season-ending FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup.
Lowry has competed on the European Tour ‘Desert Swing’ since 2010 but skipped last year’s events despite being out in Dubai last fortnight to work on his game before heading to Malaysia.
In fact, a check of Lowry’s ‘Desert Swing’ results it’s little wonder he’s pulled the plug on the Middle East in favour of the Pacific West Coast.
2014 and last time in the Dubai Classic – Shane Lowry on the Emirates Club range.. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Lowry has played in four Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship’s with a best of fourth on debut in 2010 but missed the cut in three others.
He’s hardly drawn any prizemoney from the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters with a best of T24th also in 2010 and missing the cut in two others.
And there’s been hardly an oasis at the Dubai Desert Classic with Lowry missing the cut in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and ending well down in 2012.
“I’ve never really played well in the Middle East so it has not been that hard of a decision not to play out there,” he said.
“So after the EurAsia Cup I am now looking forward to getting back into tournament golf and on the PGA Tour, as a full-time member for a first time in my career.
“I am keen to learn more about my game competing in the States full-time and I have got a lot of new experiences ahead of me this year.
“But then no matter what happens I am sure I will learn much so I am really looking forward to these three big events on the West Coast.”
The three are the January 21st starting CareerBuilder Challenge at La Quinta, the following week’s Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where Lowry was T7th last year, and the February 7th commencing AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and where he shared 21st spot in 2015.
“I will then take a week off after Pebble Beach then play Honda Classic, WGC – Cadillac Championship, two weeks off, the WGC – Match-Play in Austin, Shell Houston Open then the Masters,” he said.
“It’s a great schedule and a schedule I have always wanted so this will be a first year with this type of schedule so I am really looking forward to it.
“So basically I can play whatever tournament I want and with the exemption in winning the Bridgestone there is no pressure on me regarding holding onto my card.
“But then being the type of person I am, I won’t be happy being over in the States unless I am playing well.
“However I am very confident I will get on fine as I have really stepped up my game a level as evident last year.”
And the big 2016 goals for Lowry is journeying to Rio de Janeiro in August then onto Atlanta in late August and onward to Hazeltine in September, and wearing European Team colours for a second occasion this year.
“Of course, I want to win every week like any player out here, and while I would love to win a first Major this year is all about the later part of the year,” he said.
“I want to represent Ireland in the Olympics and I want to have played well enough to play in the FedEx Cup Play-Offs, and then there’s the Ryder Cup,” he said.
“So it is going to be a huge step up the career ladder this year for me but I am very eager to the challenge.”
