Luke Donald ditches WGC HSBC Championship to support his wife for her second child birth
World number Luke Donald is out of the limelight for the moment as the Englishman has apparently taken a break from mainstream golf to support his wife Diane during the birth of their second child this week. Comfortably resting on the summit of Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), Donald is also at the top of both the money lists on PGA Tour and the European Tour. He regained the FedExCup Money list top slot after yet another impressive performance at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on PGA where he took over the rampaging Justin Leonard by two strokes.
"It's important for my wife and it's important for me to make sure that I'm around to support her. It's no coincidence that the birth of our first daughter inspired me to some really great golf," said Donald. "Family does put a lot of things into perspective. My job is very important but the family out-trumps everything," he added.
Donald is leading the Race to Dubai Money list by a colossal 1.3 million Euros over the nearest contender Rory McIlroy and regained the FedExCup summit, dislodging Webb Simpson last month. He will be missing the lucrative WGC HSBC Championship in China this week and will return to the course for the next event on the calendar.
Donald surged to the top of the OWGR at the BMW PGA Championship in Wales earlier in the year and toppled Lee Westwood from the top slot. His impressive performance started at the beginning of the year where he won the WGC Accenture Match Play event in Tucson Arizona, defeating the then world number one Martin Kaymer. He also performed brilliantly in last year’s WGC HSBC Championship at the Sheshan International Golf Club, finishing third. Donald still has good memories of the event.
"It speaks volumes for the tournament. I got to witness it as the third man in that group. It was a fitting end to a great event," Donald said.
The total purse of the event amounts to a massive $7-million and a strong finish this week could have further inflated his lead on both the money lists. In case the Englishman comes out successful in closing the season, reigning supreme on both money lists, it will be the first precedent of its kind in the history of the sport.
Top players from across the world will be part of the field this week, who would wrestle their way to the top. McIlroy has played well last week where he won the Shanghai Masters on the first Playoff hole, defeating Anthony Kim of America. McIlroy and Westwood both have the tendency to play good golf against the windy Asian courses, ensuring a thrilling showdown this week.
Tags: