Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell in the groove for Irish Open

Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry headed home for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with a spring in their step after sub par finishes in The Players at Sawgrass.

As Rory McIlroy also looked set to leave the $10.4m event regretting a string of elementary errors and some uninspired putting, McDowell birdied his last three holes for a 69 and a Top 10 finish on eight under as Lowry shot 71 despite a bogey at the last to finish just two shots further back.

Lowry was out in the final group on Saturday after rounds of 65 and 68 but after slipping to a 78 in Saturday’s mayhem when the PGA Tour got the set up badly wrong on the greens, he made a fast start to his final round but then stalled.