Sunday 20 January 2019 20:45, UK
Shane Lowry has set his sights on breaking into Europe’s Ryder Cup team in 2020 after returning to the winner’s circle at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Lowry came through a final-round tussle with Richard Sterne to complete a wire-to-wire victory at Abu Dhabi GC, birdieing the par-five last to claim a one-shot win.
The Irishman's title is his first since the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and sees him grab the early lead on the Race to Dubai, with Lowry already focusing on a potential European debut next year.
"It puts me to where my goal is for the next 18 months and that's to be on the plane to Wisconsin with Paddy [Padraig Harrington]," Lowry said. "That's kind of where I want to be, and I think this is a great stepping stone.
"I still have a goal in my head I'm working towards every day and just because I won this doesn't mean I can take my foot off the gas.
"It's a great stepping stone, no doubt, because I'm back in the big tournaments now for the foreseeable future and hopefully I can kick on from here and move back up the world rankings where I feel like I really belong."
Lowry began the final round with a three-shot lead but found himself trailing by four strokes, only for the 32-year-old to birdie three of his last seven holes and snatch victory.
"It's been a long time (to win) and I'm just over the moon," Lowry added. "I completely thought I was gone to be honest.
"I just tried to put him under as much pressure as I could. But I didn't think I had that in me today. I'm so happy."
