Luke Donald hopes to stall the charge from Irishman Rory McIlroy to win the Race to Dubai title
World number one Luke Donald is now heading into the season-ending Dubai World Championship, where he will have to wrestle his way to clinch the title yet again on the European Tour. Having already overpowering the PGA Tour Money List, the FedExCup points
table, Donald became the only European player to win the accolade against the mighty Americans. He is also on top of the Race to Dubai Money List on the European Tour but is now seriously threatened by the raging Rory McIlroy, who is all out to claim the title
all for himself.
"If it works out on Sunday it will be my biggest accomplishment," said Donald who still has the lead of €789,789 over McIlroy at the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, although he has been off course for the last two weeks.
Donald decided to take a break from his primary obligations on the course, in wake of the sad demise of his father Colin and later the birth of his second daughter. The Englishman said he would try to win the title in honour of his late father, in a bid
to pay homage.
"It's been a wide range of emotions, something you can't ever prepare for," he said. "My father's death was very, very sad and very tough, but the birth of my second daughter spread a little grace on the situation. I'm not sure he will specifically be on
my mind this weekend, but it would be nice to win it for him."
McIlroy, who surged to world number two last month after a stealthy display of strong nerves and determination, is hoping to post another victory to surpass Donald on the Race to Dubai Money List. The winner’s prize of the event is a colossal €922,645 which
technically gives Donald the edge to post a meagre top-nine to retain the money list title. In McIlroy’s case, the young Irishman will have to bag the title in order to topple Donald from the top. With his recent victory at the UBS Hong Kong Open, the 22-year-old
boosts of a sunny disposition and is hoping to pull in the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
33-year-old Donald, once regarded as a mediocre golfer among the notorious giants of the golf, worked relentlessly for the past year to finally claim his well-deserved position. He managed to make up for his short drives with his remarkably improved putting
accuracy and is also currently having the best putting average on the PGA Tour. He was overtaken by Webb Simpson on the FedExCup title in October and went over the season closing event to win yet again, claiming his title back from Simpson. He birdied the
last six holes to win the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, overpowering the rest of the field at the event. This was Donald’s second victory on the PGA Tour for the year.
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