The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 10/14/12

10/14/2012

With This Win - Shane Lowry

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• His second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 99th European Tour event.

• Moves to €727,943 in The Race to Dubai.

• Moved to just outside the top 70 of the Official World Golf Ranking, from 128th.

• His first victory as a professional, following the 2009 Irish Open he claimed as an amateur, in his very first European Tour appearance. This is a gap of three years and 150 days.

• In that time played in 98 European Tour events between victories.

• This victory beats his previous best 2012 performance of tied second in the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity.

• The first Irish winner of the Portugal Masters.

• Victory came in his fourth appearance in the Portugal Masters.

• This victory beat his previous best performance in the Portugal Masters of tied 16th in 2011

• Became the second player to win on The European Tour as an amateur and a professional, following Pablo Martin.

• The sixth different player to win the Portugal Masters since the event began in 2007.

• Began the day four shots behind the leader. This victory marked the fifth time in six years of the Portugal Masters a player has made up a final round deficit to win.

OTHER FACTS

• The first player from the Irish Republic to win on The European Tour in 2012.

• The first victory by a player from the Irish Republic on The European Tour since Lowry in 2009 at the Irish Open.

• The 47th win by a player from the Irish Republic on The European Tour.

• Gained his largest European Tour prize of €375,000.

• Moved over €2 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.

• Gained a European Tour exemption until the end of 2014

• Gained an exemption into the 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions and 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.

Courtesy European Tour

Higgins Keeps PGA in the Family

David Higgins - Getty Images

David Higgins crowned an all conquering year in the Irish PGA region by capturing the Irish PGA champioship at Mount Juliet and underlined his ranking as the number one player on the circuit.

He beat 22 year-old assistant professional Noel Murray from Massereene by birdieing the third hole (the par 5 17th) with an immaculate pitch from 87 yards to two feet.

Kilkenny native Gary Murphy also made the sudden death play-off with all three finishing on seven under par for the reduced 54 hole event, but he dropped out after he parred the first hole(17th) to birdie by the other pair.

The pair then halved the second tie hole (18th) in par and returned to the 17th where Murray made a marvellous attempt at birdie, his sand shot rimming the hole after he hit his difficult pitch into sand.

The 39 year-old winner from Waterville, who fired a best of the day final round of five-under-par 67 to reach the play-off, said it was the fulfillment of a boyhood dream to lift the trophy that his father Liam lifted in 1983.

"I remember looking at the trophy as a young lad and saying it would be lovely to win it.I tried for a long time to win it and did it today and I'm just delighted."

But he took time to salute his fearless young rival Murray. "He's one for the future. Keep an eye out for him."

There was a two hour delay at the start of the day due to frost and fog.

Lowry Wins First Portugal Masters

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Shane Lowry beat England's Ross Fisher by one at the Portugal Masters after a thrilling final day in Vilamoura.

The 25 year old, who captured the Irish Open in an amazing debut three years ago, became only the second player to win on The European Tour as both an amateur and a professional.

Lowry joins Spaniard Pablo Martin, who won the 2007 Portuguese Open in his amateur days and then the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa two years later.

Shot of the day from Lowry was a seven iron into the hole for an eagle two at the 11th, who looked to have secured a play-off until Fisher three-putted the last for bogey.

Lowry was one ahead after adding birdies at the 15th and 17th, but prepared himself for a play-off after driving into sand and bogeying the last for a 66 and 14 under par total.

Former Ryder Cup star Fisher was in the group behind and from the fringe of the green left his long birdie attempt - a putt to win the title - five feet short and then lipped out.

Unlike his maiden victory, which earned him nothing because of his amateur status, Lowry this time picked up a cheque for €375,000 in addition to the trophy.

"I cannot believe this," he said after coming from four behind Austrian Bernd Wiesberger in the final round.

"I can't explain how I feel really. It's a dream come true - I'm over the moon.”

Brady and Murphy in Martin Chase

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Peter Martin still held the lead as the morning starters completed their second rounds at the Irish PGA Championship at Mount Juliet but it was down to one shot on six under par after a sharply fluctuating round.

Joint second overnight Eamonn Brady shot two-under-par 70 to the leader's 71 to be his closest challenger, along with Gary Murphy who carded a round of 69, with Noel Murray a further shot back on 140, carding another 70.

The 35 year-old leader got to nine under after 27 holes as he saw off a brilliant start by David Higgins who is on the brink of being crowned the Irish Order of Merit champion. The Waterville man had a hole in one on the par 3 third and birdied the next to move to five under.

Martin playing alongside him and former Ryder Cup star Philip Walton, claimed four birdies on the first nine, as he outshone him, with Higgins reaching the turn in two under, as he chalked up two bogeys and another birdie.

Both players lost their sparkle and struggled on the back nine, culminating in a very disappointing finish for Higgins, running up a triple bogey on the last for level par.

The leader had a double bogey on the 13th where he hit water and also bogeyed the last which was playing long into the wind.

He put down his slump on the back nine to not playing much this year but was content with his score. "I would have taken it before I went out" he said before heading for the practice range "to hit a few balls and get my rhythm back and take it into tomorrow."

Brady, his closest challenger, described his 70 as a "lot more solid" than his opening 69, containing three birdies and one bogey. The previous day he had an eagle and five birdies, but also a double bogey and two bogeys.

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