The PGA TOUR announced today that Shane Lowry has joined South Africa's Branden Grace and Australia's Cameron Smith in accepting Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the 2014-15 PGA Tour season.

The three players join Patrick Rodgers of the United States (June 8) and Danny Willett of England (May 13), who both joined the TOUR as Special Temporary Members earlier this year.

Both Grace and Smith tied for fourth at the U.S. Open to earn 127 Non-Member FedExCup points while Lowry tied for ninth to earn 82 Non-Members FedExCup points.

With their US Open finishes, all three players surpassed the total number of FedExCup points of the player who finished No. 150 (323 points) on the 2013-14 FedExCup points list.

For the season, Grace now has 371 points in nine starts, Smith has 362 points in 11 starts and Lowry has 339 points in 10 starts.

The three players are eligible for unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the 2014-15 season as they attempt to earn 2015-16 PGA TOUR cards through the Non-member Money List or Non-member FedExCup Points List.

Special Temporary Members are not eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs, but Special Temporary Members or non-members who subsequently become regular PGA TOUR members by winning an official event during the season will be counted on the FedExCup points list, along with any FedExCup points earned as a non-member (excluding those won at World Golf Championships events as a non-member) and thus be eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs.

To earn his PGA Tour card for 2015-16, Lowry must equal the cash or points earned by the Top-125 on Money List or the FedExCup Points List.

Lowry's current official earnings of 502,517 would leave him around 136th on the money list while 339 FedEx Cup points would leave him 126th.

Lowry will make at least two more starts in the US this summer with the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and the US PGA at Whistling Straits.