Luke Donald Wins Transitions Championship in a Playoff; Moves to No. 1

Published: 18^th Mar 12 6:20 pm

by Ryan Wooden
Featured Columnist

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Luke Donald Wins Transitions Championship in a Playoff; Moves to No. 1

Kevin Liles-US PRESSWIRE

Rory McIlroy’s rein at No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings has come to an end, at least for the time being. For now, Luke Donald has moved back to the No. 1 spot after winning the Transitions Championship this week on the Copperhead Course of the Innisbrook Golf Resort.

Donald held the title from May 2011 up until two weeks ago when Rory McIlroy won the Honda Classic, but with McIlroy inactive this week, Donald had to have a victory this week to recapture the top spot. In true Donald fashion, Luke put together a consistent week of play and won in a playoff over Sang-Moon Bae, Jim Furyk and Robert Garrigus.

The 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year led the field in strokes gained-putting, and his bogey-free round on Sunday allowed him to overcome an uncommonly inconsistent round on Saturday that left him three strokes back of Retief Goosen and fellow playoff participant Jim Furyk. On the first hole of a sudden death playoff Donald found the fairway and proceeded to stuff his approach to just outside four feet.

Furyk and Sang-Moon Bae failed to put the ball on the proper level of the tiered 18th green and missed their long attempts at birdie. Meanwhile, Garrigus found the correct shelf with his wedge and he was left with an eight-footer for birdie, but he failed to convert.

Donald buried his short putt for birdie to eliminate all three of his competitors from the sudden death playoff and give Donald his fifth career victory on the PGA Tour, his first since last October when he won the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and his third in a little over 13 months.

Last season, in addition to climbing to World No. 1, Donald led both the PGA Tour and the European Tour in earnings, which is a rare feat despite the increasingly international appeal to the game of golf.

Even though former World No. 1′s Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were absent from the tournament, Donald’s victory still came over a strong field that included 18 of the world’s 50 best golfers. However, next week, with McIlroy in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitation, Donald’s No. 1 ranking should be put to the test.

Tiger Woods is also scheduled to be in attendance after a strained left Achilles injury that forced him to withdraw during the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Needless to say, Luke Donald will have to continue to consistently work his way to the top of the leaderboard if he hopes to hold on to the No. 1 spot.

Injury News:

Retief Goosen, who lead the Transistions Championship through three rounds, has withdrawn from next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitation at Bay Hill due to complications with an existing back injury. Goosen was able to finish tied for 20th after a final round 75, but will receive treatment next week in Virginia Beach.