Lowry's Lap of Honour

Irishman Shane Lowry, who achieved instant hero status in his native country by winning The 3 Irish Open as an amateur, has been named as The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month for May. The 22 year old defied the odds and a world-class field, including three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, to become only the third amateur golfer to win a European Tour title. Lowry receives a jeroboam of Moët & Chandon along with an engraved alms dish in recognition of his success. Lowry, who turned professional five days after his spectacular play-off success over England’s Robert Rock at County Louth Golf Club, Baltray, was the choice of a media panel at the end of a compelling month for European Tour Members across the globe. There were several distinguished achievements by Tour Members, in addition to Lowry’s epic and unexpected triumph. England’s Paul Casey reached a career-best Number Three on the Official World Golf Ranking by capturing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club – his third win in 2009 – and he followed that up taking fifth place in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in the United States. Also in the USA, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson produced a powerful performance to win The Players’ Championship at Sawgrass while Frenchman Christian Cévaër held his nerve to win a close finish to The European Open at The London Golf Club and Daniel Vancsik of Argentina claimed the BMW Italian Open in Turin. After a lively debate Lowry emerged as the panel’s choice, and the young Irishman joins Rory McIlroy (January), Geoff Ogilvy (February), Søren Kjeldsen (March) and Angel Cabrera (April) as winners of The 2009 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month Award. Iain Carter, Golf Correspondent of BBC Five Live, said: “This was a magnificent month for European golf. Henrik Stenson became only the third European to win The Players Championship on American soil. “Paul Casey claimed the biggest title of his career in the BMW PGA Championship and moved to third in the World Ranking and top of The Race to Dubai. Christian Cévaër captured The European Open with more than 90,000 watching at The London Golf Club. And Shane Lowry became only the third amateur to win on The European Tour. Shane’s second round 62 at County Louth was an astonishing round and his arrival in the professional ranks certainly merits him winning The Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month for May – but it was close!” The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year will be selected from a panel from the Association of Golf Writers, Radio and Television following the Dubai World Championship at the Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates, from November 19-22, 2009, where the winner of The Race to Dubai will be confirmed.