GOLF:NO CORONATION of a new Italian prince, just of a new English king; and a reaffirmation that – at this point in time – Luke Donald is king of this sport which involves getting a spherical ball into a tin cup in as few shots as humanly possible. Yesterday, in claiming the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth over the toughened West Course, the world's number two became the world's number one as he exhibited imperial qualities of his own.
On a dry and blustery day in the stockbroker outside London, Donald outdueled and dethroned his fellow Englishman Lee Westwood in an absorbing battle that went to a play-off.
In winning, Donald pocketed the €750,000 winner’s cheque and strengthened his position atop the Race to Dubai. Crude as it may be to suggest it, but the money was almost incidental.
“Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?” he said after being hailed as the new number one.
“Hopefully there will be many more of these victories, but I will savour this – it’s an amazing achievement, something I am very proud of.”
This was a old-fashioned mano-o-mano battle between the two current top players on the planet, which went to the very last stroke. Sadly for Westwood, his reign as number one ended with an approach shot to the 18th green – the first play-off hole – that spun back off the green into the hazard. He became the latest, and most notable, victim of Els’s redesigned hole.
While Matteo Manassero became a bit player in the drama, with more central casting undoubtedly ahead of him, the real theatre came in extra-time.
Westwood, who had shot a closing 68 for 278, six under, and Donald, who had finished with a 70 for the same mark, were forced back down the par-five 18th for sudden-death.
And the 539-yard dogleg hole lived up to its reputation of examining a player’s mental fortitude as much as his golfing skill.
With both players opting to lay-up, Donald – first to go – hit his approach to the back of the green and the ball spun back to 10 feet.
Knowing what he had to do, Westwood’s approach never reached the flag and, then, he could only watch from the fairway as the ball spun viciously back towards and into the drain. In that moment, he knew that his quest was finished.
Westwood would run up a double-bogey seven, although that anti-climatic conclusion proved irrelevant.
The damage had been done, and Donald – coolly and calmly – rolled in his birdie putt to settle matters once and for all and gave him his second win on tour this season to go with his WGC-Accenture Matchplay win in February.
Donald kept his cool to eke out a win yesterday but, when he looks back on this victory, he will likely recall his fight-back in Saturday’s third round as critical.
Then, he ran up two double bogeys in his first six holes, only to rejuvenate his quest for the title by coming home in 32 (with four birdies) to grab a share of the lead alongside Manassero heading into the final round. Manassero had a horrid final round, failing to find a single birdie as he signed for a 75 (for 283) which dropped him down to tied-seventh.
No, this was Donald’s moment of triumph. Although the sideshow of the spat between Ian Poulter, highly critical of the course’s re-design, and Ernie Els cast the slightest of shadows.
“It’s difficult not to take personally, especially if it’s coming out of left-field,” said Els of Poulter’s comments, before adding: “We’ll have a word when it’s suitable and when Ian’s calmed down a bit. His comments have done a lot of damage to the (European Tour’s) flagship event. But I’m not going to take this craziness. It is uncalled for,” said Els.
For Rory McIlroy, the anticipated final round charge failed to materialise. The 22-year-old Ulsterman finished with a 73 for 287, three-over, that left him in tied-24th position.
“I didn’t chase at all,” conceded McIlroy, his attempted charge effectively stopped in its tracks with a double-bogey six at the third.
Rather than any rueful reflections, McIlroy was intent on looking ahead with the US Open looming. “I feel really good. I’m driving the ball good. I’ve put my old three-wood back in the bag which is a hue advantage.
“It goes a lot further than the other one did. I can hit it 285 (yards), 290, which is perfect for the US Open (at Congressional) coming up,” he said.
Michael Hoey’s closing 69 for 288 – where he produced a birdie-birdie finish – for tied-31st position marked a huge contrast to a year ago when he was forced to withdraw from this championship in the first round due to fatigue. A winner of the Madeira Island Open last Sunday, Hoey maintained the momentum in his push to rise up the world rankings.
“I was quite pleased the way I played well this week, considering normally a win like that (in Madeira) would take a lot out of me,” said Hoey. “I thought the swing is a lot better and I’m not using up as much energy I really appreciate being able to play because I was just worn out last year and had to rest for a couple of months. “It’s the nature of the lifestyle and travelling, it can wear you out.”
