GOLF:SHANE LOWRY is living life just outside the bubble at the moment, but the Offaly tour professional – ranked 62nd on the European Tour's Order of Merit with only the top 60 guaranteed a place in the season-ending Dubai World Championship at the end of the month – has changed his schedule to give himself every chance of making it to the shindig in the desert.
Originally due to play in the Phoenix Open on the Japanese Tour next week, Lowry has altered his plans to take in the Hong Kong Open – the last counting event ahead of Dubai – although his participation in this week’s Singapore Open, which is co-sanctioned on the European and Asian tours, offers a gilt-edged chance to book his ticket to the season’s finale as it has a significant prize fund of €4.3 million, which is the joint-largest regular tournament, outside of the Majors, WGCs and the Race to Dubai decider.
“Singapore and Hong Kong are huge events for me,” conceded Lowry. “I played in both last year and, hopefully, there is a stop-off in Dubai on the way home at the end of it all.”
Lowry is €22,181 behind South African Thomas Aiken, who occupies the all-important 60th place on the money list. Lowry’s decision to miss out on the Phoenix Open, where he finished third behind Edoardo Molinari last year, is a statement of intent as he strives to break into the elite field for Dubai where the destination of the Order of Merit will be decided.
Graeme McDowell will play the next three straight weeks – taking in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai – in his attempt to overhaul Germany’s Martin Kaymer at the top. Kaymer plays Singapore and Dubai, but misses out on Hong Kong. Rory McIlroy, though, has decided not to play in Singapore – despite the fact he was there yesterday for a corporate day enroute home from his fifth-place finish behind Francesco Molinari in the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.
Having becoming run-down due to a hectic run-in to last year’s itinerary, the Ulsterman has opted to recharge the batteries at home before resuming his schedule in Hong Kong next week which will see him in action right up to the Tiger Woods-hosted Chevron World Challenge in California next month, a run of fourtournaments. If he’d played in Singapore, McIlroy would have been on the go for six weeks in a row.
There will be a strong Irish contingent in action in Singapore. McDowell, who has the chance to pass McIlroy in the rankings, heads a nine-strong group in Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey and Gary Murphy, Paul McGinley and Lowry.
Of the nine Irish in action in Singapore, where Ian Poulter is the defending champion, five – McDowell, Harrington, Clarke, Lawrie and McGrane – have secured their places to Dubai.
For Murphy, who has received a sponsor’s invite into the tournament, this represents a last-gasp bid to retain his tour card for next season. This has been a very poor season for Murphy, who has made just six cuts in 26 tournaments.
With earnings of €19,152, the Kilkenny man languishes in 236th position on the Order of Merit and, needing to jump into the top 115 to retain his tour card, he is faced with the prospect of needing a top-five finish to have any chance of avoiding a return to the qualifying school next month.
McGinley is also outside the top 115 – he is 121st – and he has two more events, the Singapore Open and the Hong Kong Open, to move back into a position to automatically retain his card by that route.
The Dubliner, though, has the fall-back of career money earnings which would allow him to use that category as a once-off to keep his full playing privileges.
World rankings
(Last week's positions in brackets)
1 (1) Lee Westwood (Brit) 8.84 points
2 (2) Tiger Woods (USA) 8.21
3 (3) Martin Kaymer (Ger) 7.96
4 (4) Phil Mickelson (USA) 7.73
5(5) Steve Stricker (USA) 7.07
6 (6) Jim Furyk (USA) 6.98
7 (7) Paul Casey (Brit) 6.27
8 (8) Luke Donald (Brit) 5.97
9 (9) Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 5.53
10(10) Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 5.41
11 (11) Matt Kuchar (USA) 5.28
12(12) Ernie Els (SA) 5.22
13(13) Dustin Johnson (USA) 5.04
14(30) Francesco Molinari (Italy) 4.58
15(14) Ian Poulter (Brit) 4.55
16(15) Hunter Mahan (USA) 4.40
17(16) Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 4.38
18 (17) Retief Goosen (SA) 4.35
19(18) Zach Johnson (USA) 4.07
20(19) Pádraig Harrington (Ire) 4.03
