Shane Lowry got his 2023 Ryder Cup qualification bid off to the perfect start with a one stroke victory at the BMW PGA Championship over fellow Europeans Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy to top the European Points List.
This was the 2020 Ryder Cup debutant’s second Rolex Series victory and the 35-year-old collected 835.00 European Points in the process.
It was an afternoon of drama at Wentworth Club, as Lowry birdied the 18th hole to surpass clubhouse leader Rahm, who had fired a 10-under-par 62 earlier in the day.
However, victory wasn’t quite complete as an in-form McIlroy, playing in the group behind, hit the par five 18th green in two to set up a 23ft. 6in. eagle putt to tie the lead. But when the six-time Team Europe player’s putt finished agonisingly on the lip of the hole, victory was all but confirmed as long as Thomas Detry didn’t make a rare albatross on the last.
However, the Belgian found the bunker off the tee and was forced to lay up meaning Lowry was crowned BMW PGA Champion for the first time.
Lowry said: “It’s huge. I just checked my phone and had a text off Luke [Donald] so I am very happy with that! One of my goals will be to go to Rome next year and win back the Ryder Cup.
"I'm just so happy that I can win this tournament. I love this tournament and I love this course.
"I love coming here, the area, I just love everything about it. I'm so happy that I can come here and win the tournament this year.
"I feel like I've had a great year but it's not a great year unless you win. And I feel like this is just the glaze on the cake for me.
"I'm so happy. Honestly words can't (describe) how happy I am, how much this means to me and how much I love this Tour and how much I love this tournament. I'm the happiest man in the world right now.
"I said to my coach this morning, 'I need to just allow myself to play golf'. I'm playing the best golf of my life. I need to allow myself to do that and I did that."
As it stands Lowry (835.00 points), McIlroy (435.00 points) and Rahm (435.00 points) would claim the three European Points automatic qualifying points, with Detry (7.42 points), Viktor Hovland (7.42 points) and Søren Kjeldsen (7.42 points) sitting in the top three spots on the World Points List.
The 2023 Ryder Cup will take place between Sept. 5 – Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, Italy.
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