Donald added the European Order Of Merit, or Race to Dubai as it has become known, by finishing third in the Dubai World Championship yesterday.  The only player that was able to stop him was Rory McIlroy.  But he failed to win the event and finished 10 strokes off the lead following a poor final round. The event was won by Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, by two shots with an excellent 19 under.

The US PGA & the European PGA Tour Money List awards are given to the player who wins the most prize money over the course of a season. At his peak, Tiger Woods managed this feat in unofficially by winning European tour titles on an invitational capacity.

But for Luke Donald to achieve this twin award officially means he had to agree to play a minimum of 13 tournaments on the European tour and no less than 15 tournaments on the US PGA.

This massive achievement comes at the end of a great year for Luke Donald who, for the first time in his career was ranked world number 1. But without wishing to take the shine off what is truly a great achievement, I find it a little bit at odds that the number 1 ranked golf player and the winner of both the US PGA Money List & European Order Of Merit goes to someone who didn’t win a single Major in 2011.

There’s no doubting Luke Donald is one of the best golfers in the world right now.  But I want a number 1 ranked player to be the best in the world, someone who wins, a true champion, like Tiger Woods was in his prime.  Not a ‘steady Eddie’ who hardly ever three-putts.

While many pundits are still suggesting Rory McIlroy is the next Tiger Woods, It is Luke Donald that will celebrate Christmas after winning £4.19m in the US and £3,632,685 on the European Tour this year.

Rory McIlroy made an impressive comeback in the fourth and final round to win the Hong Kong Open today and with it keeps the pressure on Englishman Luke Donald for the coveted European Tour’s Race to Dubai championship.

Rory McIlroy won with a final round of 65 by two strokes with a 5 under score.  The 22 year old from Northern Ireland was delighted to seal the victory and told reporters:

“It is very special to win this. No matter how prestigious tournaments are, this is one of my favourites and I’m really happy to win it,” he said. “To be able to win a golf tournament when you are not at your best is something. Tiger Woods did this all the time. This is a great win, to come from behind and to be able to draw level and then close it out.”

There has been much pressure on the young Irishman’s shoulders since he turned professional in 2007 and eventually won his first major – the US Open – earlier this year.

McIlroy beat off challenges from France’s Gregory Havret who finished second, two strokes behind, and Sweden’s Peter Hanson on 9 under. Ian Poulter was looking to retain the title he won in 2010 and shot a good final round to finish joint fourth on 8 under with Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul.

After failing to win the Hong Kong Open, Ian Poulter told reporters:

“It’s disappointing obviously. I came to defend and I’ve come up shy. I thought I had a chance when I got to 9 under, but I just flushed it on the 15th. It was a costly bogey at the wrong time,”

Last week Lee Westwood announced that he would be joining the US PGA Tour next year which I assume is to give him a better chance to win either the US Open or The Masters.  By doing so Westwood may forfeit the chance to win the Race to Dubai, based on the highest prize money on the European Tour in a given season, but the US is where the big money is.

If like Lee Westwood you are looking to win your share of prize money then why not check out the golf betting competition at BettingExperts.

They are offering a massive a £5,000 in a free to enter competition.  The competition covers all golf tips for major, minor tournaments including PGA and European Tour during the competition date. The top ten golf tipsters with the highest profit (measured in units) on golf shares the prize pool, which will be paid in free bets & prize giveaways. Tipster with the most overall gets the first prize.

Luke Donald World Ranked #1

English golfer Luke Donald tops the world ranking after winning the BMW PGA Championship last weekend at Wentworth.

The thirty-three year old from Hemel Hempstead plays most of his golf these days in the United States but is also a member of the European Tour.  He turned professional in 2001 and first entered the world ranking Top 20 in 2005 and Top 10 in 2006.

He first played in the European Ryder Cup team in 2004 and in the same year won the WGC-World Cup for England with his partner Paul Casey.

Last month he became the second English golfer to be ranked number one player in the world by replacing Lee Westwood. His victory at Wentworth followed his biggest win to date in February 2011 when he beat Martin Kaymer to win the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship 3&2 in the final.

Watching golf over the past few years I saw Luke Donald as a very reliable, safe and consistent player but am surprised he has become ranked world number one.

Furthermore, previous to his much publicised meltdown, no one would have thought that in 2011 the name of Tiger Woods would not be at the top of the list, let alone falling out of the Top 10!

Official World Golf Ranking Top 20

1  Luke Donald,  England
2  Lee Westwood,  England
3  Martin Kaymer,  Germany
4  Phil Mickelson,  USA
5  Graeme McDowell,  N. Ireland
6  Rory McIlroy,  N. Ireland
7  Matt Kuchar,  USA
8   Steve Stricker,  USA
9   Paul Casey,  England
10 Charl Schwartzel,  South Africa
11 Bubba Watson,  USA
12 Ian Poulter,  England
13 Tiger Woods,  USA
14 Dustin Johnson,  USA
15 Nick Watney,  USA
16 K.J. Choi,  South Korea
17 Jim Furyk,  USA
18 Hunter Mahan,  USA
19 Jason Day,  Australia
20 Francesco Molinari,  Italy

For more information visit the Official World Golf Ranking website.

Belek Golf Club in Turkey (computer-generated image)

Belek Golf Club, the first integrated golf and residential community on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, is to become a European Tour Destination.

The partnership with The European Tour will result in top-flight professional golf being staged in Turkey on a new José Maria Olazábal designed golf course, construction of which starts this autumn.

Belek, 25 kilometres east of Antalya International Airport, is already a golf tourism hotspot (KPMG Golf Travel Insight report 2008) and was voted European Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2008.

Now, joining London Golf Club as a European Tour Destination, Belek Golf Club will be the first world-class venue in the region offering golfers and non-golfers alike the opportunity to own a home within an exquisite residential and resort community benefiting from year round warmth and sunshine. England football stars Michael Owen and David Platt, as well as Austrian Alpine ski racing legend Marc Girardelli, are among those who will own homes at Belek Golf Club.

Hasan Besneli, Chairman of the Board, Belek Golf Club, said: “Our partnership with The European Tour is significant as it guarantees our residents, hotel guests and golfing visitors outstanding facilities and levels of service, positioning Belek Golf Club among the world’s finest golf clubs.

“José Maria Olazábal, who has taken a close personal interest in this project, has designed a remarkable golf course that will be a fitting venue for a European Tour event, and a compelling, enjoyable course that all golfers will want to play time and again.”

The Belek Golf Club residential development, which is fed by an abundance of water flowing from the Taurus Mountains, will feature a fully navigable 7-kilometre long canal system, also connecting lakes and streams on the golf course. Other amenities include a town centre with shops, a rich variety of dining opportunities and nightly live entertainment. A wellness clinic offering spa and fitness programs will be complemented by state-of-the-art preventative and anti-ageing medicine under the guidance of medical doctors.

There will also be a Small Luxury Hotel of the World. Norgra Hotel Management will oversee the highest levels of service across the resort, while Troon Golf, the world’s leading golf management company whose portfolio of properties include Turnberry, Scotland, and The Grove, London, will manage operations and service at the golf club.

David MacLaren, Director of Property and Venue Development for The European Tour, said:

“Belek Golf Club is one of the best new golf and residential developments anywhere in the world and a fitting addition to the London Golf Club as a European Tour Destination, part of The European Tour Properties network of world-class golf venues.

“Belek, with its variety of high quality golf courses, excellent hotels and appealing climate, has already established itself on the world golfing map. Now, with a European Tour Destination and the promise of a full European Tour event within the next seven years, we believe this first integrated golf and residential community will become an icon for golf in Turkey.”

Jonathan Orr, Finance Director for The European Tour, added: “The development of our Property network is a major strategic objective for the European Tour and we are delighted to secure a partnership with Belek Golf Club, as we believe that it has all the ingredients to become an important strategic partner in a region of exciting potential.”

There are 17 golf courses in Belek, many designed by leading international golf course architects, and all within a 15-minute drive time. With year round sunshine and warmth (monthly average temperatures range from 15°C in January to 34°C in August) and an abundance of water, Belek is already a major golfing centre.

Two-time Masters Champion and winner of 23 European Tour titles, Olazábal, who coined the phrase ‘the magic of Belek Golf Club’, said: “The Castle Course at Belek Golf Club is my first design work in Turkey and I am honoured to be part of a development of such high international standard. I look forward to the challenge of creating a course that shall not only become a spectacular venue for The European Tour but, as importantly, an enjoyable and memorable experience for future residents and guests.”

Construction of Belek Golf Club begins in autumn 2010 with a planned opening date of 2012.

For more information visit www.belekgolfclub.com.

lee westwood top european player

Lee Westwood claimed victory in the Dubai World Championship on Sunday, hitting a stunning course record 64, to finish 23 under par and win the tournament by six shots from Ross McGowan.

The prize money for winning the Championship, around £740,000, means that Westwood clinches the Race to Dubai Order of Merit title ahead of Rory McIlroy.

The twenty year old Irishman McIlroy will be disapointed having led the Race to Dubai ahead of the tournament by £114,000 from Westwood, but concedes that Westwood’s form in Dubai deserved the win, he said;

“Leading coming in to this week and then finishing third, most times that would have been enough, but Lee was different class and he deserves it,” said McIlroy. He’s been through the highs and the lows. He’s number five in the world and he will climb higher after this. He’s got his reward for the golf he’s played over the last two years.

I knew there was no chance. I was just trying to play for second place. I gave it my best shot. It’s been a great season and I have no complaints. I could have been happier with how it ended, but it’s been a great stepping stone and I’m looking forward to next year (on the US tour).”

Westwood had indeed played some of the finest golf of his career in Dubai, something that he himself acknowledged when he said after claiming the title;

“I’m a bit speechless. I played fantastic at the weekend. I played well at the start of the week, but 66 and 64 will take some catching,” said Westwood. It’s as good as I’ve ever played, especially under this pressure. It gives me so much confidence and it’s definitely the biggest moment of my career.

Every credit to Rory, to be leading the Order of Merit and then finish third you would expect to win, so commiserations to him.”

Westwood added that ending the season as Europe’s number one was more satisfying second time around, claiming that in 2000 when he reached the same position he was too young to appreciate it as his career up until then had only known highs.

When he adds, “Then I went through a low that was well documented and it has been a long way back. This is the best day of my career,”, you know he really does mean it.

A great time to start thinking about a winter ski holiday, a great way to part with some of those winnings!

The American who has only played one PGA Tour event this year, has been banned for a year after testing positive for an unnamed substance.

The 40 year old turned professional in 1992 and has since won more than £1.8million in his career, but has not competed on the full PGA Tour circuit since 2006. This season he has competed mainly in the Nationwide Tour, but has failed to make the cut at any of the events.

Barron said:

“I would like to apologise for any negative perception of the Tour or its players resulting from my suspension, I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour.”

Details of the substance will not be revealed until any appeal process is completed.

lee westwood

Lee Westwood has waited over two years to win a trophy, although there have been many close calls, but he picked one up at the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura as he won the tournament by two shots from Italian Francesco Molinari and four from Padraig Harrington

The Englishman also picks up a rather large £458,000 cheque, enough to propel him from fourth to first on the European money list.

Westwood said after the win;

“It was nice to finish it off, you never know when the next win is going to come and you start to question yourself. You always slightly doubt yourself in the back of your mind and to be number one again feels great. It’s been nearly 10 years since I won it.

I’m also delighted about the world rankings. I always have a good look at that and it’s a reflection of my consistency. But winning is definitely a habit and I got out of the habit. Hopefully now I have won again I can win more.”

The golfers will be leaving their rivalries behind on the course to come together for the Genworth Financial ‘Putts For Charity’ Pro Challenge.

The cream of Europe’s golfers will raise money for charity by picking a ball with monetary figure on it and then attempting to putt the ball. If they succeed they donate the figure to charity.

The golfers also share their views on their current form and achievements over this year and the final stages of the European Tour. Also general chat about next years Ryder Cup, the Road To Dubai and their thoughts on golf being accepted into the Olympics for 2016.

“I’ve not been as far forward at self-promoting as some players we know can be,” said Lyle, “I’m still mystified why they haven’t pin-pointed any sort of qualities I’m lacking. I’d like to know.”

“I think George O’Grady probably could’ve supported me a bit more and made them realise how much I had done behind the scenes in supporting the European Tour for what they have now, which is a world tour. I would’ve given it a damn good shot and have some respect from the players.”

While being careful not to direct his anger at Montgomerie, Lyle could not resist having a dig at his rival, saying; “Monty’s got a lot of work. I think he didn’t realise how much commitment was involved to be the Ryder Cup captain. He has always been a player in the Ryder Cup, so it’s a whole new ball game for him now and the microscope will be on him all the time and I hope he chooses well.”

Lyle is tipped to succeed Montgomerie as Ryder Cup captain in 2012.

But yesterday Rory McIlroy won the Dubai Desert Classic, but only just.  At one point on the final day it looked like he was going to throw it away again.  McIlroy had led from the first day, and on the final round, with six holes to play was leading by six shots.  But Justin Rose made a last minute surge with three bogeys, and finished in second place just one shot off the lead.

Speaking to reporters after the victory Rory McIlroy admitted:

“It has taken monkey off my back, having lost in play-offs … It is nice to hold it together on the last with a great up-and-down for the victory. To beat a field of this quality is very satisfying.”

Rory McIlroy now moves to 14th in the world rankings and is looking forward to a practise round with Tiger Woods at the US Masters.