Donald enters Ryder Cup picture

Changes in the way Europe picks its Ryder Cup team are even more likely following Luke Donald’s victory in America.

The 24-year-old from High Wycombe ended his first full season on the US Tour on the biggest possible high when he won the State Farm Bureau Classic in Mississippi yesterday.

It earned Donald $468,000 (€469,000), took him through the million-dollar barrier for the season, lifted him from 163rd to 96th in the world and guaranteed him a place on the circuit for the next two years.

Now the former Walker Cup star’s hopes of making his Ryder Cup debut in Detroit in 2004 could be given a real boost as well.

For September’s match at The Belfry, 10 of the European side were selected off the European Order of Merit, and two – Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik – were the wild-card choices of captain Sam Torrance.

A proposal expected to be discussed at next month’s meeting of the tour’s players’ committee is to switch to only five off the Order of Merit, five off the world rankings and the two wild cards.

The idea is to make it far easier for those who do not play a full season in Europe to qualify – and both Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer, the two leading candidates for the captaincy, are in favour of change.

The increased recognition of the world rankings would certainly open the door far wider to Donald, who from day one of his professional career has concentrated on the United States.

That decision paid handsome dividends when the final round of the event at Annandale Golf Club in Madison was abandoned because of rain.

Donald had taken the lead with three birdies in the last four holes of his third round on Saturday, unaware at the time of how important that was.

He became the 18th first-time winner on the US Tour this year and finished 58th on their money list. Sergio Garcia (12th) and Jose Maria Olazabal (24th) were the only two Europeans ahead of him.

Donald started this year 522nd on the world rankings. The State Farm victory was also his first top-10 finish – but he had 10 other top-25 finishes, missed only seven out of 30 halfway cuts and was a superb 18th on his first appearance in the US Open.

He earned boys’ and youths’ honours for England – Donald and Robert Duck were regular partners, believe it or not – but really started being noticed in the sport after going to Northwestern University in Chicago on a golf scholarship which was coupled with a degree in art theory and practice.

The talented artist was part of the winning Britain and Ireland side at the world team championships in Chile in 1998, then won the American collegiate title in 1999 and later the same season was unbeaten in the Walker Cup triumph at Nairn.

In the successful defence of the trophy at Sea Island last year he took his record to seven wins and only one defeat – the best by any Britain and Ireland player in the history of the event. That was his farewell amateur performance.

Pat Goss, his former head coach at Northwestern University, is tipping Donald for even more success.

“It’s limitless for Luke,” he said. “He has tremendous desire to be a great player and is as strong-minded a person as I’ve ever been around.”