Donald Relieved After Ending PGA Tour Title Drought
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 achieved the biggest tournament of his career, a 3&2 victory over German Martin Kaymer, which makes him the prestigious WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
"It bothered me so much,of course," Donald said when talking about his long desire for a third PGA Tour career victory. "What my goal every year is to win tournaments,with my whole strength and firm determination. It's a long time since I've tried to play for money, you know.
"My first two years, maybe, as a greenhand, you think about making your Tour card and making cuts and earning enough money to play the next year. But it's been a long time since that."
"I only focus my eyes on winning tournaments," said the Englishman, who will rise to a career-high third in the world rankings on Monday.
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.
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Winning objective
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 the hope of winning faded away.
"Last year, what disappointed me most 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 hit the ball a bit further, to catch up with some of my peers, and I think it made my swing get off kilter," he said.
"And that takes me some two or three years for it to get back to almost where I need it to be."
For Kaymer, who will take over from Britain's Lee Westwood as world number one on Monday, 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 together with Phil Mickelson several times and it is incredible. But what Luke is doing at the moment is a joke. And you know wherever he is, he will make the up-and-down if he doesn't hole it."
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It's been more than a half-century since a Canadian has won the RBC Canadian Open. Adam Hadwin has a chance to change that after a 2-under 68 Saturday that leaves him one shot off the lead of Bo Van Pelt after three rounds.
Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen wore a black armband at the Evian Masters on Saturday in memory of the victims of the twin attacks that have devastated her country.
Swede Alexander Noren was unstoppable on Saturday as he fired a course record nine-under 63 to charge into an 11-shot lead after the Scandinavian Masters third round.
It's been a long time since John Daly has been in this position, in contention going into the final round. But that's what he's in after a 3-under 67 Saturday at Shaughnessy G&CC;, where Daly is seeking his first win since 2004.
Saturday's round was easily Van Pelt's best tee-to-green this week as he hit 67 percent of his fairways and missed just one green in regulation on his way to seven birdies and two bogeys. His 65 was the best score of the day and puts him in position to get his second career win (his first was in 2009) with one round to play.
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