Donald tops World rankings

Luke Donald has given part of the credit for his stunning rise to world number one to his one-year-old daughter.

After a long list of near misses Donald knocked Lee Westwood off top spot by beating him in a play-off for the BMW PGA title at Wentworth yesterday.

And the 33-year-old, who will become a father again in November, said of baby Elle: “She really is an inspiration to me.

“Just watching her grow and every day learning new skills, adapting, becoming better and better – that’s all I’m trying to do at golf too.

“Every day just try and figure a way to improve. She does that.

“My daughter is the best – she sleeps 12 hours every night and it’s nice to come home even when you finish second or don’t quite close out a tournament.

“When you’ve got her little face smiling back you’re able to forget things pretty quickly.”

Westwood’s second spell at the summit of the sport looked set to continue when he turned a two-shot deficit at the start of the final day into a two-stroke lead with three holes to play.

But while Donald birdied the 16th, he three-putted it for bogey, missed a six-foot birdie chance on the last and then took a double bogey seven at the first sudden death hole after his pitch spun viciously into the stream.

Westwood said: “It’s amazing it went in the water, but it shouldn’t have gone into a play-off.

“The finish was a bit iffy I suppose, so that’s the reason I finished second. Not because I lost the play-off – they are volatile, aren’t they? – but because I didn’t take my chances.”

For Donald it was an incredible ninth successive top 10 finish, a run that began with his victory at the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona in February.

In that run he has earned over £3million – and that works out at more than £77,000 for every round or nearly £4,300 for every hole.

But he said: “Money is not really that important. I’ve always said winning is top of the list.

“To come through in these circumstances in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, going head-to-head with Lee, is pretty special.”

He is only the third Englishman – after Nick Faldo and Westwood – to top the rankings since they were introduced in 1986.

And he is the third European to make it there in the last seven months, Westwood’s two spells totalling 21 weeks being interrupted by German Martin Kaymer for eight weeks.

“Number one feels fantastic – a great honour, a great achievement,” added Donald.

“It’s something that will be a great story when I’m an old man telling my grandkids that I was once the best player in the world at golf.

“But just because I’ve reached the pinnacle doesn’t mean my work is done. I have a lot more to accomplish.”

The world rankings did not even figure on his main goal for the season.

That was to contend in all four majors. He tied for fourth in the Masters last month and next up is the US Open at Congressional near Washington on June 16-19.

His final warm-up event is the Memorial tournament in Ohio this week.