Donald looks to consolidate position

Luke Donald will have another crack at strengthening his place at the top of the Race to Dubai in Madrid this week.
Luke Donald will have another crack at strengthening his place at the top of the Race to Dubai before taking a much-deserved break from the game.
The English World No 1 has had a hectic schedule of late and his wife, Diane, is set to give birth shortly, but he felt honour-bound to come to Madrid this week and defend the title he claimed last year.
Donald’s one-stroke win at the Madrid Masters a year ago in many ways acted as a launching pad for the terrific 12 months he’s had since, winning three titles and finding himself atop the world rankings and the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic.
Prior to entering the event, he had gone nearly four years without a win.
“It had been a while since I’d won, so my victory in Madrid last year gave my confidence a big boost,” said the 33-year-old.
“The victory marked the start of an incredibly consistent run for me, so I’ve got great memories.
“When you’re playing well you tend to enjoy your golf more, and that was certainly the case for me in Madrid and in the weeks that followed it.
“Because the win opened up a lot of doors for me, I felt duty-bound to support the event by going back to defend my title.
“I’ve had a very busy stretch lately, and my wife’s also due to give birth soon so I’ll be taking a break after Madrid.”
Not only would a win this week give him the perfect sendoff as he prepares to take a break from the game, it would strengthen his position at the top of the Race to Dubai.
Donald is keen to finish the year as the money list winner on the PGA and European Tour, something no player has ever achieved before.
“It’d be great to sign off with another win to extend my lead at the top of The Race to Dubai,” he added.
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