Lowry is ready for a sprint to the finish in Race to Dubai

SHANE LOWRY is prepared to take the battle to win the Race to Dubai right to the wire – starting at this week’s $7m Italian Open in Rome.

The Irishman jumped to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings with his maiden Rolex Series win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January and reclaimed top spot with his maiden major triumph at The Open Championship in the summer.

Jon Rahm’s victory at the Mutuactivos Open de España last weekend, however, knocked Lowry into second place but with three further bigmoney Rolex Series events after this week to come. as well as a World Golf Championship showpiece, the battle to be European No1 is likely to go right down to season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month.

Lowry is determined to follow in the footsteps of Francesco Molinari by winning his first Rolex Series event, a major Championship and the Race to Dubai title in the same season.

“It’s probably going to come down to the last couple of events,” he said. “I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing all year.

“Do I keep an eye on it? I actually watched a little bit of the golf on Sunday but, before that, I didn’t watch any of it because I just didn’t have time the rest of the week.

“It’s very exciting that I’m there and I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to win the Race to Dubai.

“I want to keep trying to pick up some Ryder Cup points and keep challenging myself every day to shoot the best scores I can, keep playing my golf, keep doing what I’ve been doing all year and win the Race to Dubai.

“That would kind of top off what has already been an incredible year.”

Robert MacIntyre, the leading Scot on the European rankings, lines up as the Olgiata club while the Dumfries rookie Liam Johnston needs a big finish to boost his hopes of retaining his tour card with events running out on the regular schedule.