Lowry fails to qualify for Honda Classic - heads for Puerto Rico
Shane Lowry during his media conference in Tucson. Picture Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieShane Lowry will have to wait a while longer to break into the world’s top 50 after he tantalisingly came up one shot short of joining Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods in this week’s Honda Classic.
Fresh from his heroics in the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona, the world No 62 shot a four under 67 in the Monday qualifier at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.
But that proved to be one stroke too many in the battle for four places in the field at PGA National Sweden’s Alex Noren, Irish Open champion Jamie Donaldson of Wales, 2006 Ryder Cup player Vaughan Taylor and American journeyman Darron Stiles shot five under 66s to qualify.
Lowry had hoped to make the field and earn enough world ranking points to make the world’s top 50 and qualify for next week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.
Instead he will take up a sponsor’s invitation to tee it up in the PGA Tour’s $3.5m Puerto Rico Open, which clashes with the WGC in Miami.
Lowry tweeted: “Unfortunately missed qualifying for the Honda Classic by a shot folks. #ahwell #thatsgolf”