Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry's bank balance to benefit due to little-known rule
A little-known rule could benefit up to four Team Europe stars - including Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry - as pressure to qualify for one of golf's most lucrative events nears.
Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry are both set to benefit from a little-known rule ahead of next month's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The event in the Middle East is only open to the top 70 players on the DP World Tour following the end of next week's Korea Championship.
Fleetwood is 94th and Lowry is 155th due to the majority of their golf being played out on the PGA Tour this campaign. However, a loophole is expected to give the duo a right of passage into the Abu Dhabi tournament.
A section in the DP World Tour rule book pinpoints that any players from the Team Europe set-up have their own exemption category to play both the Abu Dhabi event and the DP World Tour Championship. Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka - who are 72nd and 147th respectively - are the two other Team Europe members that are outside the top 70, at this stage.
Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard, Justin Rose, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, meanwhile, are inside the cut-off point. Fleetwood, a seven-time European Tour winner, has accumulated 531.47 race to Dubai points this season, while Irishman Lowry is behind on just 231.70, though both have played just 15 tournaments combined.
With Fleetwood and Lowry both exempt from qualifying through the top 70, that could be set to increase their bank balance with a huge prize pool in-bound for those included at the Abu Dhabi tournament in three weeks. Although the final prize money is not clear, it's likely to be at least £1million, meaning Fleetwood and Lowry are set to benefit even if they finish outside the top 70, as they will have the right to play for the winner's prize.
Last year, £6,766,380 was available to players throughout the prize share, with £1,150,284 going to the eventual winner Paul Waring. Meanwhile, £744,301 went to second place with third getting £426,281.
"It just means so much to so many other things that come with that win," Waring stated after securing his biggest payday of his career so far in 2024. "That said, early in the week, to actually keep control of myself in the way that I did today, I'm really proud of myself, and [my caddie] Alex (Evans) was absolutely amazing... My playing partner was amazing, Shane was great as was Niklas (Norgaard). I'm a bit taken aback right now."
As some players from Team Europe - who finish outside the top 70 in the DP World Tour rankings - will be in, it won't impact those already in the top 70 and 50, meaning field sizes will increase where necessary.
Fleetwood and Lowry both impressed as Team Europe retained the Ryder Cup in the United States last month. Luke Donald's men won 15-13 in an enthralling weekend out at Bethpage Black.
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