Lowry on the rise; Meadow best in Alabama
Shane Lowry. Picture: PGA of America
Shane Lowry is off and running in his bid to break back into the world’s top 50 by Christmas after he notched his first top-10 finish for ten months in the Portugal Masters.
With a new caddie on the bag in Vilamoura, he shot four rounds in the sixties for the first time since the British Masters a year ago, closing with a four-under 67 to finish sixth behind England's Tom Lewis on 16-under par and move up five spots to 80th in the word.
It Lowry was first top-10 since last year's runner-up finish in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and just the confidence boost he needed after losing full playing rights on the PGA Tour.
If Lowry could be pleased with his haul of 22 birdies, it was also a positive week for Greystones' Paul Dunne, who ended a run of three missed cuts in a row with a share of 44th on eight-under after a final round 69.
No-one was happier yesterday than Lewis, who produced the biggest 54-hole comeback of the season to win the Portugal Masters for the second time since 2011 and put four years of struggles behind him.
The Englishman (27) was nine shots behind first-round leader Lucas Herbert after opening with a one-over 72.
But having won the Bridgestone Challenge and tied for third in Kazakhstan in previous two starts on the Challenge Tour, he shots rounds of 63 and 61 to go into yesterday's final round just two strokes behind Herbert.
He then closed with a 66 to win by three shots from the Australian and England's Eddie Pepperell on 22-under par with the key a 35-foot par save at the 17th after he had driven into a water hazard.
He then watched the Australian pulled his tee shot in the lake at the last, finishing with a six to drop back to tied second.
Ryder Cup wildcard Sergio Garcia, meanwhile, gave European skipper Thomas Bjorn something to smile about when he closed with a 65 to finish tied for seventh.
Costly finish for Moynihan
On the Challenge Tour, Gavin Moynihan had a front nine triple bogey and then dropped three shots on his last two holes, carding a costly, three-over 75 to finish tied 40th in the Hopps Open de Provence in the south of France on one-under.
Romain Langasque claimed his maiden Challenge Tour title on home soil, signing for a 67 to win by three from Swede Joel Sjoholm and Switzlerland's Joel Girrbach on 15 under.
Meadow tied 22nd in Alabama
On the Symetra Tour, Stephanie Meadow tied for 22nd in the Guardian Championship in Alabama closing with a one-under 71 to finish nine strokes behind winner Kendall Dye on seven under par.
Leona Maguire was tied 37th on three-under after a closing 69.
Clarke well back in South Dakota
On the PGA Tour Champions, Darren Clarke tied for 70th on nine-over in the Sanford International in South Dakota, 22 shots behind Steve Stricker who shot 67 to win by four shots from Tim Petrovic and Jerry Smith on 13-under.
The former Ryder Cup skipper will not be doing media work in Paris but celebrating his son Conor’s 18th birthday.
