Shane Lowry can not win the Race to Dubai however he nonetheless stole Rory McIlroy’s thunder by opening with a glowing eight-under 64 to seize a five-way share of the lead within the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Europe’s Ryder Cup hero did not make the highest 70 obtainable gamers within the Race to Dubai who’re nonetheless eligible to win rating factors within the final two occasions of the season and probably win the season-long race.
However after moving into the 2 season-ending Playoff occasions as a member of Europe’s Ryder Cup staff, 112th-ranked Lowry took benefit at Yas Hyperlinks.
He made 9 birdies and a bogey in his 64 to share the lead with Tommy Fleetwood, South Africa’s Richard Sterne, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori and France’s Adrien Saddier as Race to Dubai chief McIlroy opened with a 68 to share twenty seventh.
“It was good,” mentioned Lowry, who gained this title at Abu Dhabi Golf Membership in 2019 however spurned probabilities for additional wins after enjoying poorly within the closing group at Yas Hyperlinks on Sunday in 2022 and 2023.
He clearly loved enjoying alongside Ryder Cup teammates Fleetwood and Rasmus Hojgaard and dropped only one shot after three-putting from lengthy vary on the twelfth.
“I used to be fairly excited once I noticed the group, my pairing at the moment and it was good to go on the market with the boys,” he mentioned. “I felt like I performed properly. I performed pretty within the Professional-Am, so I used to be feeling assured coming in.”
Crediting his draw alongside shut pal Fleetwood for serving to him chill out, he mentioned: “I used to be paired with him in India the primary two days and I shot 64, as properly.
“So yeah, there’s one thing about me and Tommy. However no, I identical to enjoying with him, your good friend, and a extremely good participant, too, and also you sort of feed off one another. It was good.”
Lowry was happy together with his placing and iron play, however he isn’t getting forward of himself at a venue the place closing rounds of 77 and 76 price him the title at Yas Hyperlinks in 2022 and 2023.
“I’ve an excellent document with out having an excellent end right here,” he confessed. “I do not know, I identical to the place.
“The situation of it’s wonderful, and I simply see my manner round right here fairly properly. Hopefully, I can put 4 rounds collectively this week.”
McIlroy is seeking to win his seventh Race to Dubai subsequent week and whereas he was outscored by his nearest rival, Marco Penge, who shot 67 to his 68, he hopes to maneuver by means of the gears over the subsequent three days.
“It was okay,” mentioned McIlroy, who was happy with the brand new driver he is put within the bag this week. “I felt like I gave myself a whole lot of probabilities on the again 9. Simply did not actually convert.
“You realize, that was hopefully the dangerous spherical out of the best way. There are three extra rounds to attempt to take it a bit decrease.”
Assured he has extra within the tank, McIlroy added: “Simply making an attempt to work my manner by means of the gears proper now.
“It is getting there. As I mentioned, hopefully that is my kind of worst spherical out of the best way. However it wasn’t horrible by all means.”
Lowry, Fleetwood, Sterne, Kobori and Saddier lead by a shot from Nicolai Hojgaard, Andy Sullivan, Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, Nacho Elvira, Michael Kim, Keita Nakajima and Alex Noren.
However it was a tricky day for final week’s Hong Kong Open winner, Tom McKibbin, who performed within the windier late situations.
The Holywood star made two double bogeys in a 75 that left him joint seventieth within the 72-man subject however in no hazard of falling out of the highest 50 within the Race to Dubai who will contest the DP World Tour Championship subsequent week.
