• Children's Miracle Network Classic, Round Four

Classy Donald makes PGA Tour history in Florida

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Luke Donald underlined his status as world No. 1 as he claimed the PGA Tour money title after producing a blistering final round to storm to victory at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.

Donald reeled off six consecutive birdies on the back nine to sign for a stunning 64 to clinch his fourth title of the year (his second on the PGA Tour) by two strokes in Florida.

Second in the money list to Webb Simpson before the event at Lake Buena Vista, Donald looked to have thrown his chances of victory away on Saturday.

But the world No. 1, who needed a top-two finish in Florida to have any chance of finishing top of the money list in the United States, fired an early statement of intent with back-to-back birdies on his opening two holes.

Two further birdies were sandwiched by bogeys as Donald reached the turn in 34, but it was on the back nine Donald really set the course alight. Having rolled in four straight birdies, the Englishman made another on the 14th. Donald had dropped three shots on the hole on his previous two rounds, but he made a birdie when it mattered to take the outright lead.

Donald was simply unstoppable as he rolled in a 45-foot putt for his sixth consecutive birdie at the 16th to reach 17-under, extending his lead by two strokes before holding his nerve to march to victory. He picked up a cheque for $846,000, which was enough to see him become the first European to top the PGA Tour money list, finishing ahead of Simpson, who finished four shots back on 13-under after a final-round 69.

Donald, who was two strokes clear when he finished his round, faced a nervous wait with second-placed Nick O'Hern, Justin Leonard and Kevin Chappell still out on the course. O'Hern buckled under the pressure with back-to-back birdies on his final two holes, Chappell dropped a shot and Leonard failed to make up any ground as Donald secured his first stroke play victory on American soil in over five-and-a-half years.

"I didn't play the par fives very well this week and the eighth [a bogey six] was a case in point," Donald told Sky Sports. "I thought my chance might have gone, but I was saying that I hadn't got on a run and what better time than the back nine on Sunday? It's nice to do it under pressure when I needed to."

Leonard, who was runner-up in Orlando for the second successive year, secured his PGA Tour card for 2012 after playing his way into the top 125. Leonard, who finished outright second on 15-under, moved up 53 places to No. 91 in the money list, while Sunghoon Kang (68) and Tom Pernice Jr (69) both moved into the top 125 after finishing in a tie for third

However, it was not such good news for Bobby Gates, whose final round 71 saw him finish on five-under, which saw him slip out of the top 125.

Donald remains on course to become the first man to finish top of both the European Tour and PGA Tour money lists - he leads Rory McIlroy by more than €1 million in the Race to Dubai with two months remaining.

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