Luke Donald has claimed the Race to Dubai title, although the Englishman will now be searching for some Major victories in 2012
Luke Donald completed the money list double on Sunday as his third place at the Dubai World Championship was more than adequate to claim the Race to Dubai title. The Englishman has enjoyed phenomenal success in 2011 but still lacks a major title on his CV, so can he put that right next year? (Donald 100/30 To Win a Major in 2012).
Donald has been nothing short of sensational, missing only two cuts all year, while finishing in the top 10 an incredible 20 times in 26 tournaments around the world.
But, like fellow Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood, he has yet to win one of the big four, with a joint-fourth at this year’s Masters and ending in a tie for eighth at the USPGA.
Donald has a few years on Westwood in terms of age but the critics will continue to trot out the same line until he finally lands a major.
It is mainly the American commentators who have questioned the 34-year-old’s right to be the world number one as they seem obsessed with winning majors, but golf is a year-round sport and there are only four chances to win a major every year.
One bad round can out paid to a player’s chances and the yearly accumulation of points towards the money list is a far better gauge of a golfer’s ability.
Darren Clarke won the Open championship when he showed all his experience to master the tough conditions at Sandwich, but he could not hold a candle to Donald in terms of talent, consistency or results over the past few years.
The fact that Donald was able to play so well on both sides of the Atlantic, and indeed all around the world, proved beyond doubt that he is the best all-round golfer at present and it is surely only a matter of time before he claims a major.
The Hemel Hempstead-born star may not be the longest from the tee but his iron play is as good as anyone’s and he is peerless around the greens.
A challenge will come from Rory McIlroy in 2012 while a resurgent Tiger Woods will also be a threat, but Donald has shown he has the stomach for a fight and will be up for the battle.
His victory over Westwood in a play-off at the BMW PGA Championship proved that he can handle the pressure of a big tournament and he backed that up by claiming the Scottish Open just a few weeks later.
But surely it was the way in which he accepted the challenge laid down by Webb Simpson stateside that proves how good Donald actually is.
Needing to finish in the top two in the final tournament of the season, Donald carded six consecutive birdies on the back nine in his final round to win the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and snatch the money list title from under the nose of the US star right at the death.
Donald will compete at this week’s Australian Masters before a well-earned rest and it must be remembered that he has achieved all his recent success despite the loss of his father and the birth of his second child.
But the major issue will not go away and the Englishman has already alluded to the fact that he will be looking to break his duck over the next 12 months.
Donald will have to wait four months for another shot at a major, with the Masters first up in April and three top-10 finishes in seven attempts at the Georgia venue bode well for his chances (Donald 18/1 – Masters Outright).
His precision iron play and touch round the greens should be ideal for Augusta and it would be no surprise to see him challenging on the final afternoon.
They say that the tournament does not get underway until the back nine on Sunday and it is a fairly safe bet that Donald will be in contention.
He has the game and the temperament to win it, or any of the other three majors – and the challenge now is to do it and silence the doubters once and for all.
