SHANE LOWRY’S DREAM of teeing up at next year’s Masters is under threat after he was forced out of the final event of the European Tour calendar, the DP World Tour Championship.
Lowry was hospitalised in Dubai and put on a drip earlier this week as he battled against a virus.
The Clara native rose to 57th in the world when he bagged his second Tour win — and the €375,000 first prize — at the Portugal Masters last month.
A strong showing at Jumeirah Golf Estates this weekend could have seen Lowry, 25, break into the world’s top 50 players at the end of the year and guarantee his invitation to Augusta next season.
Meanwhile Padraig Harrington made a brilliant start to the €6.2m tournament with an opening round of five-under par 67 this morning. Marc Warren and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano share the clubhouse lead on six-under.
Ireland’s Peter Lawrie is two shots back on four-under while Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Michael Hoey were among the day’s later starters.
