Relief seemed to ooze out of every pore of Luke Donald’s face as he spoke to the golfing media on Sunday after ending a PGA Tour title drought of five years.
The Briton had just won the biggest tournament of his career, a 3-and-2 victory over German Martin Kaymer earning him the prestigious WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
“It certainly bothered me,” Donald said of his long wait for a third PGA Tour career victory. “My goal every year is to win tournaments. It’s a long time since I’ve tried to play for money, you know.”
Photo: Reuters
“My first couple of years, maybe, as a rookie, you think about making your Tour card and making cuts and making enough money to play the next year. But it’s been a long time since that,” he said.
Donald had not triumphed on the US circuit since the 2006 Honda Classic, although he recorded seven top-10 finishes to end the 2010 season seventh in the money list with earnings of US$3.66 million.
“I solely focus on trying to win tournaments,” said the Englishman, who rose to a career-high third in the world rankings yesterday. “I felt like I hadn’t won my fair share for as good a player as I felt I was and could be. It was frustrating to me. Winning in Europe took a little bit off but obviously it was a little bit of a smaller event, not a field like this.”
Photo: EPA
Donald claimed the third European Tour victory of his career at last year’s Madrid Masters.
“But to come here and compete against the best players in the world and win the trophy is very gratifying,” he added, referring to the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event that brings together the world’s top 64.
Asked what his next objective might be after winning his first WGC title, Donald replied: “Hopefully I gain a lot of confidence from it and I go on to win more events. Every year, the goal is to win tournaments and to try and win majors.”
“I had a very consistent year last year, won once in Europe and had 10 top-threes around the world. I was certainly knocking on the door, but I wasn’t winning,” he said. “The most disappointing thing about last season was I didn’t really contend in a major, I didn’t really have a chance.”
Donald is renowned for his superb short game but, as a medium-length hitter in a sport increasingly dominated by power drivers of the ball, he made a tactical error four years ago to try to beef up his golf.
“Back in 2007 ... I decided to try to hit the ball a little bit farther, to try to catch up to some of my peers, and I think it made my swing get off kilter,” he said. “And it’s taken a good two or three years for it to get back to almost where I need it to be.”
For Kaymer, who took over from Britain’s Lee Westwood as world No. 1 yesterday, Donald’s consistency and short game mark him out as a player to command the highest respect.
“He’s definitely one of the most consistent players on the Tour and I think he’s probably the best in the world in the short game at the moment,” Kaymer said. “I have played with Phil Mickelson a few times and it is unbelievable. But what Luke is doing at the moment is a joke. Wherever he is, you know that he will make the up-and-down if he doesn’t hole it.”
MAYAKOBA CLASSIC
AFP, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO
Johnson Wagner captured his second career USPGA Tour title by parring the first playoff hole at the Mayakoba Golf Classic on Sunday to defeat fellow American Spencer Levin.
Wagner shot a final round four-under 67 to finish level with Levin at 17-under 267 on the El Camaleon course. Levin shot a six-under 65.
“I haven’t really had time to think about it, but I’m just beside myself excited,” Wagner said. “I’ve been working really hard, and it’s just nice to see stuff pay off when you work hard. It makes you want to work even harder.”
American John Cook fired a five-under 66 to finish third on 270. Chris Stroud was alone in fourth at 13-under 271 after a closing 70.
Wagner, whose last win was in 2008 at the Houston Open, returned to the 18th tee with Levin to start the playoff. South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini (66) and Aussie Jarrod Lyle (70) were part of a half dozen players who finished at 12-under 272.
Wagner collected US$666,000 prize money on a weekend when most of the top-ranked players were competing in the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship in Arizona.
His bogey-free round featured four birdies on seven, eight, 11 and 13.
“Spence and I have played a couple rounds together competitively, a few practice rounds,” said Wagner, who took a one-shot lead over Stroud into the final round. “Spencer is one of my favorite guys out here. He’s played great this year. He’s just a real emotional guy, real great player, gets a lot out of his game. Spence is one of the best guys out here, always wanting to chat and always seems to be in a pretty good mood. He’s a good man.”
Levin birdied five of the first eight holes before giving up a stroke at 12. He bounced back with birdies and 13 and 17.
“Obviously, right this second I’m not very happy, but yeah, overall it was a good week,” Levin said.
Levin, who remained in search of his first Tour title, was in trouble off the tee at the playoff hole.
“I hit a bad drive,” he said. “That’s pretty much it. It’s tough when you go in the trap. I hit a bad drive and a bad third shot.”
Wagner said his priority is making it into the Match Play next year, but he wouldn’t mind coming back to try and defend.
“Unfortunately, it’s opposite the World Match Play, so the only way I would not be here is if I was in the top 64 in the world,” Wagner said. “But if I’m 65th, you can dang sure bet I’m going to be here. I’ve loved it here, and it would actually be sad if I did get to 64 in the world and didn’t get to come back and defend. I’ve loved every minute I’ve been here.”
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
RSS