A determined looking Graeme McDowell marches off the first tee. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieGraeme McDowell reduced Henrik Stenson’s lead at the top of the Race to Dubai to just €145,865 as he combined with Ian Poulter to make Dustin Johnson fight tooth and claw for victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Rory McIlroy prepares to tee off in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieRory McIlroy claimed his place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship with a sixth place finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Graeme McDowell is lurking just four shots behind Dustin Johnson after a third round 64 in Shanghai. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieGraeme McDowell is determined to chase down leader Dustin Johnson in the WGC-HSBC Champions so he can close on Henrik Stenson at the top of the Race to Dubai or even overtake him.

Rory McIlroy looks anxiously after his tee shot on the 15th. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie A frustrated and disappointed Rory McIlroy slipped five strokes behind what Graeme McDowell described as an “immense” Dustin Johnson at the halfway stage of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Rory McIlroy speaks after his round. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieTalking the talk is one thing but Rory McIlroy walked the walked and backed up his belief that he is closer to winning the WGC-HSBC Champions than missing the season-ending DP World Tour Championship when he opened with a seven under 65 to take two shot lead at Sheshan International in Shanghai.

Planet Lowry. Shane celebrates his second European Tour win. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieShane Lowry is not normally one for changing but his thrilling Portugal Masters victory has convinced him to shelve plans to tee it up in the PGA Tour Qualifying School next week and seek his place in the elite through the top 50 in the world rankings.

Rory McIlroy made a good start to his bid to finish the year inside the world’s top-five when he showed a welcome return to form with a final round fling in China.

Purple reign - Padraig Harrington ended a two-year wait for tour success in MalaysiaPadraig Harrington shook a monkey off his back with his first win for two years and immediately set his sights on a season-ending lucky streak

The Dubliner, 39, confessed he had “the luck of the Irish” as he hit a 69 to cruise to a three-shot victory in the $1.25m Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia for his first tour triumph since the US PGA nearly 800 days ago.

Now he’s hoping his luck has changed after a horror run and he’s gunning to turn a disappointing season into a bumper year by chasing victory in Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai next month.

Rory McIlroy reckons Phil Mickelson has the indian sign over Tiger Woods following Sunday's WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament result in Shanghai.

The young gun had a ball playing with Mickelson for the first two rounds and walked away impressed.

Rory McIlroy set the Race to Dubai alight with a brilliant nine under 63 earning him fourth place in the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Rory McIlroy has Dubai on his mindThe Holywood starlet, 20, fired the lowest final round of his career to scorch up the leaderboard and finish just two shots behind winner Phil Mickelson at Sheshan International.

The Ulster ace banked €211,988 to move from third to second in the Race to Dubai standings and is now just €52,320 behind pace-setter Lee Westwood with this week’s Hong Kong Open and the season-ending Dubai World Championship to go.

It’s a long shot now but Shane Lowry can still qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

Lowry heading to Japan or DubaiThe Irish Open champion followed his opening 66 with a second round 74 to slip from second to 14th in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Tiger Woods (67) and Nick Watney (70) lead by a shot on 10 under par from Phil Mickelson (66), Ryan Moore (69) and Alvaro Quiros (66).

But Lowry, who is 163rd in the Race to Dubai, can still earn enough cash to move into the top 60 who will qualify for the final event of the season if he finishes second.

Shane Lowry is hungry for a Chinese takeaway after opening with a sizzling 66 in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

The Offaly man’s six under par effort beat Tiger Woods by a shot and left him just two behind leader Nick Watney in a share of second with Martin Kaymer and Ryan Moore.

Beaming after hitting seven birdies and just one bogey, Lowry said: “My game has been good for the past few months. I have thrown in a few good scores and it's just a question of trying to put four of them together.

Rory McIlroy is hoping for a “special” week after being paired with Phil Mickelson and US PGA champion YE Yang for the $7m WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Phil MickelsonThe 20-year-old Holywood starlet avoided Tiger Woods as the world No 1 was drawn with Volvo World Match Play winner Ross Fisher and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee for Asia’s first World Golf Championship.

Hoping to close the gap on Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer in the Race to Dubai, McIlroy said: “I’m playing with Phil Mickelson and Yon-eun Yang so that’ll be really good.

Padraig Harrington fears he could spark a family ding dong by adding Hong Kong to his schedule.

Singapore is next up for HarringtonThe Dubliner is a massive €1.18m behind new Race to Dubai leader Lee Westwood despite finishing third in the Portugal Masters.

And he’s prepared to try and win his THREE remaining events worth a potential €1.96m rather than cancel a family holiday to earn a possible €275,000 in next month's Hong Kong Open.

Padraig Harrington’s first task as European No 1 will be to take on Tiger Woods in next week’s 2007 season opener in China.

The Dubliner is officially the top dog in Europe because he played the minimum 11 events needed for European Tour membership.

Ryder Cup star Paul McGinley faces two weeks of Chinese torture to qualify for next month's $5 million HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai.

World No1 Tiger Woods will be back at Sheshan International Golf Club from 9-12 November alongside Padraig Harrington and a host of tournament winners from around the globe.

But McGinley could find himself as the only member of Europe's winning Ryder Cup team to be left out in the cold - unless he can win

Cash machine Padraig Harrington is preparing a massive €22 million world tour tour to finish off his season in style.

The in-form Dubliner plans to rack up the money with lucrative visits to Spain, China, Japan, South Africa, Babados and the United States between now and Christmas.