Richard Sterne failed in his bid to win for the first time in over five years, but was richly rewarded for a solid week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The event was added to the lucrative Rolex Series, which will help Sterne add a staggering €682 793(R10 749 323) to his bank balance.
It was heartbreak in store for the 2o13 Joburg Open winner as he at first quickly turned a three-shot overnight deficit into a three-shot lead with nine holes to play.
Three became four on the 11th green before Lowry roared back into the picture, thanks in part to his remarkable play on the par 3s where he made 11 birdie 2s this week to break a European Tour scoring record.
Tied going up the last, both players found the fairway, but Lowry stepped up with his second; a three wood from 281 yards to the heart of the green.
A loose second from the South African meant birdie was out of the equation as Lowry two-putted for the win.
Saturday’s result was Sterne’s first top 10 since September 2017 when he shared ninth place at the 2017 Omega European Masters.
Fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen banked R4 837 244 after finishing solo fourth. The SA Open champion was left to rue his third round 75 after playing his way up the strong field in the final round with a 66 that was beaten only by Joost Luiten’s 65.
A quiet week for Branden Grace saw him finish in a share of 27th place; he earned R890 055.
