Lowry looks to wrap up Race To Dubai win
OPEN champion Shane Lowry believes he will need to secure a third victory of the season to achieve his goal of winning the Race to Dubai.
Lowry is top of the European Tour’s money list courtesy of his Open triumph at Royal Portrush and victory in Abu Dhabi in January but is just 400 points ahead of Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger.
The 32-year-old plans to play at least five events before the seasonending DP World Championship in Dubai and admitted he is eager to get back into action at this week’s BMW PGA Championship.
“I’ve played a couple of events in the States since the Open and coming back here this week it’s kind of new again where everybody is coming up and congratulating me,” said Lowry, who was awarded honorary membership of the European Tour yesterday.
“The first time I was announced as Champion Golfer of the Year was pretty cool. It’s a lovely title to have. But to be honest it has sunk in and I’m quite eager to get on with my golf and I’m looking forward to trying to achieve different goals I have the rest of the year.
“The Race to Dubai is the obvious one. I’m number one and I want to stay there, but I’m going to have to play some good golf and I’m going to have to maybe win again.
“But I’m just going to go out like I’ve been doing all year, day after day and try and shoot as good a score as I can and see where it leaves me the at the end of it. First and foremost I want to win the Race to Dubai.”
Wentworth could be the ideal venue for Lowry to get the win he feels he needs, the Irishman having recorded five top-15 finishes in last seven starts at European Tour headquarters, including finishing runnerup to Rory McIlroy in 2014.
This week’s Tour flagship is also the first counting event for European Ryder Cup qualifying and Scotsman Russell Knox is keen to make an early mark and declare his intentions to Padraig Harrington, the Team Europe captain. “The start of the Ryder Cup this week was 100% behind my decision t Wentworth,” said Knox.
“I think I heard Harrington say he expected everyone to be here. I have played a lot of average, kind of belowpar golf so hopefully with the Ryder Cup points kicking off, I can snap into gear here and play some good stuff.”
Justin Rose has emerged as an injury doubt for Wentworth due to a knee injury. Rose cancelled a scheduled interview yesterday and has also withdrawn from today’s pre-tournament pro-am.
Meanwhile, just a couple of days after Europe won a thrilling Solheim Cup, Mark Lichtenhein, the chief executive of the Ladies European Tour, has announced that he will stand down at the end of this month.
I’m number one and I want to stay there, but I’m going to have to play some good golf