Luke Donald
England

  • Full name Luke Donald
  • Birth date December 7, 1977
  • Birth place Hemel Hempstead
  • Current age 46 years 103 days
  • Height 5 ft 9 in
Luke Donald poses for his profile picture for the 2010 PGA Tour
Profile

Luke Donald is widely thought to have one of the finest swings in the game, but it is only in recent years has he shown the quality he demonstrated on the notoriously difficult US College circuit.

Donald was raised in Hemel Hempstead, but went to college in the United States as he felt it would strengthen his game. His time at Northwestern was a tremendous success as he beat the scoring record of a certain Tiger Woods when winning the individual NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships in 1999.

Donald turned pro in 2001 and stardom beckoned when he passed the $1 million barrier in his first season on tour. He was expected to be one of Woods' main challengers for major honours, but that victory has so far eluded him.

His best finishes in the majors have been third places at the 2005 Masters and 2006 PGA Championship, while he picked up an injury which curtailed his season when finishing fifth in the 2009 Open.

Donald bounced back to form in 2010 and his win at the Madrid Masters in May snapped a four-year winless run on tour and took him back into the world top 10 and he had a fine end to the year with a string of top-10 finishes - including second in the Tour Championship.

Those proved to be a precursor to a landmark campaign in 2011 - as Donald wrested the No. 1 spot in the world from Lee Westwood after beating him in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship, one of an impressive four wins around the globe.

His win at the Children's Miracle Network Classic saw him secure the PGA Tour money list title and he capped a stellar season of domination by finishing third at the Dubai World Championship to become the first man to top the money list on both tours in the same season.

His performances in majors continue to disappoint him, however - with a final day challenge at The Masters undermined by a missed cut at The Open and underwhelming efforts in the US Open and US PGA in 2011, and a fifth-placed finish at The Open as good as it got in 2012, a season spent tussling for the No. 1 ranking with Rory McIlroy.

Donald won one tournament on the European, US PGA and Japan Golf Tours in 2012. After clinching the Transitions Championship in March, he retained the BMW PGA Championship in May before losing out in the battle for No. 1 when McIlroy won the US PGA Championship.

The year ended on a high, however, as Donald played his part in Europe's Ryder Cup triumph in his adopted home town of Chicago before winning his first title in Japan, the Dunlop Phoenix, in November - a result that lifted him above Tiger Woods to No. 2 in the year-end rankings.

Career high: Winning the money list on the European Tour and PGA Tour in 2011 - a feat never before achieved.

Career low: A wrist injury picked up while playing out of rough at the 2008 US Open Championship ended his season.

Quote: "The Ryder Cup brings with it the same kind of feelings that you get before a Major. The juices begin to flow and the build-up is very similar."

Trivia: Donald's brother Christian had been the player's caddie for eight years prior to their, it must be stressed, amicable split in November 2009.

Top

Latest Articles
Latest Photos

Jul 19, 2013

Luke Donald prepares to putt

Jul 16, 2013

Luke Donald eyes his shot

Jul 5, 2013

Luke Donald gets lost in the long rough

Jul 4, 2013

Luke Donald admires his swing

View the full list of related photos »

Top