Amateur Donald wins Pro event
Luke Donald, the world's best amateur, wins a professional event in the USA and says he is turning pro next year...
Beaconsfield Golf Club player Luke Donald defeated a field of American professionals to win the Chicago Open by a massive six shots. Donald received an invitation from Chicago's La Salle Bank and duly obliged the sponsors by winning the event!
The 22-year-old amateur from High Wycombe, who studies liberal arts at Northwestern University in the USA, fired rounds of 68, 68 and 69 for an eight-under-par total at the Beverly Country Club in Illinois.
It made up for the fact that Donald was knocked out at the semi final stages of the recent US Amateur but with his amateur status, Donald cannot claim the $30,000 first prize.
"Obviously it is tempting when $30,000 is dangled in front of you," Donald said. "But I had a plan from the beginning and I am dedicated to finishing my college golf career and getting my degree at Northwestern University."
Donald intends to turn professional next May and try his luck on the PGA Tour rather than his home European Tour and with his prodigious talent, British eyes are on him to be the challenger to Tiger Woods' supremacy of world golf.
Donald said after his first professional tournament win: "This is a great honour to win such a fine tournament. It was an excellent field on a great golf course and, fortunately, I was able to play three really solid rounds."
