Top four finish for Irish pair

MIXED emotions for Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry after the Abu Dhabi Championship.

McIlroy lost his place in the world’s top ten while Lowry has moved into the top 100 after finishing third and fourth respectively in an event won by Martin Kaymer.

The German moves into second spot on the Race to Dubai money list and fifth on the European Ryder Cup points list after pipping England’s Ian Poulter to the title. Kaymer’s win lifts him eight spots to number six in the world at the expense of McIlroy who has been bumped from 10th to 11th in the global rankings.

The 24-year-old Dusseldorf native played superbly to answer Poulter’s final round challenge with a last-hole birdie after both were tied at 20-under par from the 14th. Poulter missed a 20-foot birdie putt at the last that would have forced a play-off before carding a 66 and a 20-under par score.

McIlroy began the final day tied with Poulter and a stroke behind Kaymer but stalled over his outward nine in seeking to secure a first win before next week’s defence of his Dubai Desert Classic title.

However McIlroy managed to muscle his way to within a stroke of Kaymer in playing the last only to find the left with his final drive and eventually walk off with a par for a 67 and third place at 19-under par.

Reigning Irish Open champion, Shane Lowry made it two Irish in the top-four to also secure his best Race to Dubai result since winning last May at Baltray.

Lowry posted a 67 to finish fourth on 17-under par that earned the 22-year Esker Hills star €75,000 and his richest Race to Dubai prize cheque since turning pro last May.

Lowry will move from 138th on the rankings to possibly 91st position after the rankings are fully adjusted following the completion later today of the rain-affected Bob Hope Classic in the States.

Kaymer desperately wants to be in Monty’s Celtic Manor side, and also after chatting at length with Monty at a function on Friday night in Abu Dhabi.

“My first Tour win was here in 2008 and that was very special. Now I’ve got my fifth win on Tour, which is awesome. Hopefully it will help me in the Ryder Cup rankings, as that is my goal for this year.”

McIlroy was left to ponder yet another missed opportunity. His third place finish is his 13th top-five result in the past 12 months since capturing a first Tour win in nearby Dubai.

“To go out in the last group and shoot five-under par, most times you’re going to come out on top but Martin (Kaymer) and Ian (Poulter) played very, very well,” said McIlroy. “I didn’t get off to the best of starts but I kept patient, hung in there and made a couple of nice birdies towards the end. It just wasn’t enough but it’s still a great way to start the season being in the last group on a Sunday.”

McIlroy collected €93,900 and starts a New Year 12th on the money list and second on the Ryder Cup points table. While Lowry’s prize is a best in Europe, it is €15,000 shy of a pro career high of €90,000 he earned in finishing third in last November’s Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan.

“This is my first week of the year, so it’s been a great week,” he said. “I came out here for the start of my new season without any real expectations and I managed to find something at the start of the week and along with a bit of confidence, and except for a putt or two yesterday, I could have been right up there challenging the leaders.

“It’s been tough enough since I turned pro but I’ve had a couple of decent finishes, and I’ve managed to throw in a few low numbers towards the end of last year and that gave me a bit of confidence, and showed me that I deserve to be out here. So I’ve showed again this week I can compete out here.”

Peter Lawrie (279) and Darren Clarke (285) were the other Irish finishers.