Lowry on the rise despite $50,000 triple bogey

Ian Poulter claimed his second WGC victory in the HSBC Champions in China. It was his 12th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 274th European Tour event. Picture © Getty ImagesShane Lowry rose one place to world No 56 despite a closing triple bogey that cost him around $50,000 in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China.

The 25-year old Offaly man added a final round 75 to his Saturday 72 to slump to 32nd place on seven under par in Mission Hills, 14 strokes behind winner Ian Poulter.

After opening with three birdies, Lowry turned in 33 when he followed bogeys at the fifth and eighth with birdies at the sixth and ninth.

But questions will again be asked about his stamina after he limped home in six over 42 by following a double bogey six at the 12th with a bogey at the par-three 17th and that triple bogey seven at the 18th.

He picked up €42,230 for his week’s work to go into his last two events of the season just shy of €1m in winnings with €996,540 from 26 starts for an average of €38,328 per event.

Ranked 21st in the Race to Dubai, Lowry is within touching distance of breaking into the world’s top 50 before the end of the year but will still need a top finish either in this week’s Barclays Singapore Open or the season-ending DP World Tour Championship to do it.

The Clara man hopes to play in all the game’s big events next year and while he does not know if he will be joining 14-year old Guan Tianlang in the Masters after the Chinese Amateur won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship he could earn even more cash if he qualifies for the HSBC Champions next year.

The International Federation of PGA Tours, HSBC, the China Golf Association and the Shanghai Administration of Sport announced on Sunday that the HSBC Champions will become part of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup schedule, with money earned counting as official money on the PGA TOUR, and the winner earning a three-year exemption on the PGA TOUR, with the opportunity to join the organization if he is a non-member. 

The HSBC Champions will also award full FedExCup points, plus the 10 percent premium awarded by all World Golf Championships compared to a regular PGA TOUR event.  

The total purse will also increase from US$7 million to US$8.5 million.  These changes bring the HSBC Champions in line with the other three World Golf Championships played in the United States.

Poulter produce a superb final round 65 to overhaul a four-shot final round deficit to secure the second World Golf Championship victory of his career by two strokes from Americans Jason Dufner (64), Scott Piercy (65) and Phil Mickelson (68) and Open champion Ernie Els (67).

Joint overnight leaders Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen had to settle for a share of sixth on 18 under after disappointing closing 72s.

Graeme McDowell, who bruised his hand earlier in the week by catching it in a hotel room door, also shot a 72 to share 42nd place on two under.

By winning in only his second appearance after winning all his four games in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph in Chicago, Poulter climbed from 26th to 15th in the world thanks to his first solo win since last December’s Australian Masters.

The top six in the world remain the same - Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods did not play - with joint runner-up Jason Dufner improving from 10th to seventh.

McDowell dropped two places to 24th while  Padraig Harrington also fell two to 61st.

Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings: 1 Rory McIlroy 12.78pts, 2 Tiger Woods 9.24, 3 Luke Donald 8.77, 4 Lee Westwood 6.71, 5 Justin Rose 6.26, 6 Adam Scott 6.10, 7 Jason Dufner 5.99, 8 Webb Simpson 5.80, 9 Brandt Snedeker 5.77, 10 Louis Oosthuizen 5.72 11 Bubba Watson 5.68, 12 Steve Stricker 5.28, 13 Phil Mickelson 5.16, 14 Keegan Bradley 5.13, 15 Ian Poulter 5.08, 16 Nick Watney 5.07, 17 Matt Kuchar 5.05, 18 Dustin Johnson 4.97, 19 Peter Hanson 4.87, 20 Ernie Els 4.80

Other leading Europeans: 22 Sergio Garcia, 24 Graeme McDowell, 27 Paul Lawrie, 28 Carl Pettersson, 30 Francesco Molinari, 33 Nicolas Colsaerts, 34 Martin Kaymer, 36 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 43 David Lynn, 45 Thomas Bjorn, 46 Fredrik Jacobson, 47 Jamie Donaldson, 49 Rafael Cabrera Bello, 50 Alexander Noren, 51 Martin Laird, 54 Richie Ramsay, 55 Thorbjorn Olesen, 56 Shane Lowry, 57 Marcel Siem, 61 Padraig Harrington, 63 Simon Dyson, 64 Bernd Wiesberger, 68 Anders Hansen, 72 Jonas Blixt, 77 Alvaro Quiros, 83 Pablo Larrazabal, 85 Matteo Manassero, 90 Robert Karlsson, 92 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 93 Robert Rock, 94 Ross Fisher, 97 Danny Willett