Harrington's success puts fire in Donald's belly
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
DUBLIN, Ohio -- Luke Donald wasn't able to play golf but that doesn't mean he wasn't aware of what was going on in the game.
Not that the Englishman was glued to the Golf Channel or anything. After all, Donald is an eclectic sort who majored in art theory at Northwestern and has developed his own wine. So his interests stretch beyond birdies and bogeys.
But the Englishman was sidelined by surgery to his left wrist in 2008 right about the same time Padraig Harrington was winning his second and third majors that seminal summer. His Ryder Cup teammate's success certainly wasn't lost on Donald.
"I think you need one guy to kind of inspire a generation to kind of follow in their footsteps," Donald said. "For me I guess that was probably Padraig Harrington winning his three majors back in 2008 while I was probably on the couch in a sling.
"I think when you're around people that you're pretty familiar with and see that they are accomplishing great things, it sets a little bit of a fire in your belly that if they can do it, so can I. I think we've got to thank his successes a little bit for this great run in European golf."
Maybe. But Donald was the one who put in the hours on the range to shore up his game from tee to green. He was the one who fine-tuned an already formidable short game into one that can be counted on under pressure.
And Donald is the one now reaping the benefits in what is shaping up to be a monster year for the unassuming 32-year-old Englishman.
Consider this. Donald enters the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance ranked second in the FedExCUp, trailing Bubba Watson by a mere 29 points in the season-long competition that awards a $10 million bonus to the winner.
Donald also comes to Muirfield Village as the No. 1 player in the world, a position he assumed on Sunday when he beat the man who previously held the top spot, Lee Westwood, in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship. He'll tell you he didn't have his best stuff at Wentworth and for that very reason, Donald took considerable satisfaction from the victory.
"And obviously to do it in that circumstance going head to head with Lee and to have everything on the line made it that much more special," Donald said.
Although his ranking in the polls validates his consistency week to week, the understated Brit doesn't focus his energy on such things. His goal is simply to win tournaments, and he has assembled a brain trust intent on making that happen.
Pat Goss, Donald's college coach, has been his instructor for the last 14 years. He and his caddy, John McLaren, have developed a strong partnership in the 18 months since Donald and his brother, Christian, parted ways. Donald has also added Dave Alred, a rugby kicking coach and motivational speaker to the fold, as well as two new fitness coaches.
"That's it, really. That's my team -- and my family, I suppose," said Donald, who has settled comfortably into fatherhood with a 1-year-old daughter and another child on the way.
Alred has helped Donald set up drills so he can practice under pressure -- "so it's a little bit more meaningful, I guess, rather than just standing up there and whacking balls all day long," Donald said. Alred has also gotten Donald to start writing down his goals daily in a performance diary to make him more accountable.
But don't ask Donald to share any of those thoughts. "I'd prefer to keep it more to myself," he said. "It means more that way."
Make no mistake, though. Those words Donald has put on paper have also been put into action.
He's made up for a lack of distance off the tee -- Donald ranks 163rd in driving distance at 278 yards -- with dramatically improved ball-striking. Donald went from 120th in driving accuracy in 2010 to 33rd this year and 152nd in greens in regulation to 43rd. The putting remains consistent with Donald ranking ninth in strokes gained.
"I think I got it to a point where I was trying to hit the ball too hard," Donald explained. "My swing got to a place I didn't really like, and it was affecting me quite heavily off the tee. For as far as I hit a ball, I needed to hit more fairways than I did."
Donald's improvement has not been lost on his peers, either.
"He's close to being a machine," said Fred Couples, the U.S. Presidents Cup captain who played with Donald the first two rounds at the Masters.
Justin Rose, who defends his title at the Memorial Tournament this week, agreed. And the Englishman said Donald's putting prowess from inside 10 feet is not unlike Tiger Woods in his prime.
"It's hard to play against a guy who never makes a mistakes," Rose said. "He makes mistakes, but he never compounds the error. He's always getting it up and down, or he's salvaging himself from a bad shot, and I think that's someone who's very difficult to compete against, and that's what's giving him the level of consistency right now."
Donald ended a five-year PGA TOUR victory drought earlier this year at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, which was the first in a phenomenal string of seven straight top-10s he's looking to extend this week at Muirfield Village. He also lost in a playoff at The Heritage and tied for fourth at THE PLAYERS and the Masters.
Donald's high among the favorites at Muirfield Village -- and he'll head to Congressional Country Club for the U.S. Open in two weeks with the same expectations. His new-and-improved fairways-and-greens game should play well there as Donald attempts to win his first major championship.
"I've always said if you're playing well, you can win any tournament," said Donald, who plans a practice round at Congressional next week. "It doesn't really matter the circumstances. ... (I'm) looking forward to going back there, and obviously I'll be high on confidence, so hopefully that will push me a long way."
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