Introducing your new World No.1...
Critics call him a “cash machine golfer” – someone who plays consistently to put the money in the bank but doesn’t have the cutting edge to finish top of the leaderboard.
Everyone else simply calls him “LUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!”
But like him or not, the 33-year-old is now officially the best golfer on the planet.
The Chicago resident edged past Lee Westwood in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship to take the £655,000 first prize and his compatriot’s place at the top of the rankings.
With a beaming grin on his face – and soaked in champagne – Donald came in to tell us mere mortals just how he was feeling after his impressive Wentworth win.
First of all, how does it feel to win here and become World No.1?
I’m not going to lie, it feels fantastic.
It’s a special accomplishment and something I’ll remember forever. It’s a great story for when I’m an old man and I can tell my grandkids that I was once the best golfer in the world.
But I’ve always said winning is at the top of my list of goals and winning is what got me there.
I’ve been the runner up a few times this year and to come through in these circumstances – in one of the biggest tournaments in the world going head to head with Lee – is pretty special.
Speaking of which, to beat friend, compatriot and World No.1 Lee Westwood to take his crown must add to the achievement?
I’m not sure if there will ever be a case where number one and number two in the world had a playoff for the title and for the chance to be World No.1.
A bit of unique history has been made and I’m glad I was there to be a part of it.
Lee’s a hell of a player who doesn’t back down and was a deserved number one. I felt bad for him. He hit a decent shot and it just had a bit too much spin, but I was happy to walk away with the win.
But just because I’ve won here and become number one doesn’t mean I’m done now. I’ve still got a lot of work to do and hopefully a lot more titles to win.
If being World No.1 is based on consistency, then yes, I have been the most consistent this year. This is my 14th or 15th top ten in the last 16 or so tournaments. It pays to be consistent and it pays in the world rankings.
You’ve become something of a matchplay specialist in recent years. Are you relieved to get another strokeplay victory under your belt?
Matchplay and strokeplay are different animals. Strokeplay is a tougher win as you have to beat a bigger, deeper field.
It’s been a while since I won a strokeplay event [precisely one year] and even my win at the Honda [in 2006] was an average field.
But to come here and win against this field – with six of the top seven and the four reigning major champions … well it feels pretty good. I’ve never won a playoff in my professional career either, so it’s nice to get that out the way.
And to do it here in England…
I love coming back and playing in Great Britain and hats off to the crowd. They’re a very knowledgeable crowd who know when to clap, when not to clap and they’re a pleasure to play in front of.
It’s a credit to this tournament that they can get so many people to come and watch.
You spent a lot of your third round in the trees – was that your tribute to Seve Ballesteros?
I put myself in a lot of sticky positions and I felt Seve would have been proud of me the way I escaped – it could have easily been a whole lot different if I hadn’t sunk those putts at 16, 17 and 18.
And we owe a great deal of gratitude to Seve for putting the European Tour on the map. His flair, his charisma, the way he played, his five majors.
But my daughter Elle is also an inspiration, just to watch learning new skills day-to-day and adapting to the world around her. And that’s what I’m trying to do with my golf – just figure out each day how to get better.
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