Donald at the double

Wednesday, 14 December 2011 18:36

Written by Editor

Luke Donald became the first man to win the US and European money lists in one year after finishing third at the season-ending Dubai World Championship. The world number one needed a top-nine finish to complete the feat and shot a bogey-free 66 for a 16 under total. Rory McIlroy, who had to win the Dubai event for a chance of the money list, closed with a 71, 10 shots adrift. Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, the overnight leader, won the title by two shots after a 67 left him at 19 under. After accumulating £4.19m in winning the US money list, Donald finished with earnings of £3,632,685 from his tournaments on the European Tour. The 34-year-old Donald, who has been at the summit of the world rankings for 27 weeks, had already clinched the U.S. Tour's money-list crown in October.

"I couldn't see Rory's name on the leaderboard but I kind of knew the double was mine by the 13th hole," Donald told reporters after shooting a 66 for 272 to take third place behind Dubai winner Alvaro Quiros of Spain (269).

"I knew I had made history and the last six holes were kind of surreal," added the winner of this year's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, PGA Championship at Wentworth, Scottish Open in Inverness and Disney Classic in Florida.

"The pressure went away and I was able to enjoy myself, have a few smiles and enjoy the walk. I guess that's what it is all about," added Donald.

"There's a lot still to achieve," he said, after being presented with the lavish Race to Dubai trophy. "The beauty of this game is that you are always looking for ways to improve.

"I'd love to pick up a major," added the Englishman, whose best finish to date in golf's big four annual events is joint third in the Masters and PGA Championship.

"It's fun being number one but I know there are lots of great players chasing me and that will keep me motivated to work hard."
It was a typically assured performance from 34-year-old Donald, who did not drop a shot over the final 46 holes of the tournament. McIlroy holed a 20-foot putt at the 10th for his second birdie of the day to reach 10 under but his anger was evident when he missed a par putt from six feet at the next. The US Open champion parred his way in to a round of 71 and second place in the Race to Dubai standings.

"I can't wait to have a few weeks off," said the 22-year-old, who has been troubled by a possible case of Dengue fever and has withdrawn from next week's Thailand Golf Championship, the last event of the season on the Asian Tour.

"The doctor told me that no matter how bad I'm feeling now I'd be even worse if I played next week."
Spain’s Alvaro Quiros won the title, his second of the year, with a long eagle putt on the final green to deny Scotland’s Paul Lawrie