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.

Many commentators are suggesting that now Rory McIlroy has won his first major title he will dominate the future of golf for some years to come, filling the void left by Tiger Woods in the past couple of years following a recurring knee problem and a breakdown in his personal life.

McIlroy has got much to live up to if he is going to be as successful as Tiger Woods who has won three US Open titles in 2000, 2002 and most recently in 2008 when he was playing with the knee injury that subsequently had him miss the rest of the 2008 season.  Since his return Tiger Woods had failed to find his form and is now in danger of dropping out of the top 20 world ranking.

Rory McIlroy will need to win the US Open a further three times to equal the record of four wins jointly held by Willie Anderson, A-Robert T. Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus.  The latter being a mentor to the young Irishman over the past two years.

The next major championship in the golf calendar is the British Open which this year is being held at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent.  So why not go online and buy a new set of golf clubs learn to play the shots the pros make look so simple.

You can buy the same golf clubs, balls and clothes as Rory McIlroy at Direct Golf.

22 year old Rory McIlroy became the youngest player to win the US Open for 88 years and the first to lead at the end of all four rounds since Tiger Woods in 2002.  In doing so he will have wiped the memory and pain of his disaster at Augusta where he was in a similar position after three rounds, only the fall apart on the final day.

Though he is still only 22 years old, big things have been expected of Rory McIlroy since he turned pro in 2007 at the sprightly age of 17.  The weight of expectation was placed on his shoulders when Tiger Woods stated that McIlroy was the future of golf.  And though over the past four years he has come close, he has never been able to keep in the zone for four days solid; until now.

On completing his final round, 2010 US Open champion, fellow compatriot and close friend Graeme McDowell said Rory McIlroy was the best golfer he has ever seen.  Strong words coming from a man who has played with Tiger Woods on several occasions.

Rory McIlroy has now officially arrived on the world stage.  The US crowds love him and with a deflated Tiger Woods, the biggest sponsors in the world will be queuing up to have a piece of his fame.  But it could have been so different if he had cracked under the pressure, as he did at Augusta in the US Masters in April when he went into the final day with a four stroke lead and finished in joint 15th after a final round of 80. If the same choking capitulation had happened to Rory McIlroy yesterday at Congressional it may have had a lasting psychological effect.  That is something McIlroy had been working on among other things with golf legend Jack Nicklaus who has acted as a mentor to McIllroy over the past two years.

As it is, this morning Rory McIlroy wakes up to realise it wasn’t all a dream after winning his first Major championship and with it will no doubt be the favourite to win next month’s British Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, Kent.

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.

Charl Schwartzel eventually won the Masters by two shots (14 under par) by playing some truly amazing shots but most of all by playing a steady, confident round.  He appeared to be unfazed by the pressure and said it was helpful playing with another steady player KJ Choi.  But from the off Schwartzel’s chance of slipping on the famous green jacket was given a kick start with a chip and run for a birdie on the first and an amazing eagle at the third.

By contrast, it was sad and rather distressing watching Rory McIlroy fall apart and eventually breakdown in front the cameras and capacity crowd at the famous Augusta Golf Course.

McIlroy had lead from day 1 and had previously played three great days of golf as he went into the final day with a four shot lead that had everyone convinced he was finally going to win his first major. The boy from Hollywood, Northern Ireland will turn 22 next month but for the past four years, since turning pro when anyone was asked they said it was only a matter of time until Rory McIlroy starting winning majors.  Over the past few years he has won plenty of championships, but like Britain’s young tennis star Andy Murray, has fallen shot when given the chance to win a major.

On Sunday McIlroy looked nervous, quickening his pace and from the off the lead began to shrink.  But as he went into the back nine he was still leading by one shot from the likes of Charl Schwartzel, K J Choi, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods who was playing some sublime shots and looked to have returned to his best.

As McIlroy fell apart at the 10th with a triple bogey that included hitting two trees and shot to pieces through Amen Corner, the chasing pack was joined by Luke Donald and Geoff Ogilvy.  Rory literally broke down on the 12th hole with a four putt, it was the reason I don’t watch reality TV.  I was watching a young person’s world shatter and it was uncomfortable viewing.  Rory McIlroy finished the day with a round of 80!

With three holes to go the young Australian, Adam Scott had edged into the lead from his playing partner and fellow Australian Jason Day, and Charl Schwartzel.  But it was Scwartzel who remained calm while playing some sensational shots who eventually won the US Masters by two shots.  A very worthy winner that seemed appropriate exactly 50 years after fellow South African, Gary Player became the first overseas golfer to win the Masters.

Charl Schwartzel won with 14 under from Adam Scott and Jason Day on 12 under.  While Luke Donald was the best placed Britain tied in fourth on 10 under par along with Tiger Woods and Geoff Ogilvy.

It was good to see Rory McIlroy get a great reception as he walked towards the 18th hole.  He had started the final day on 12 under but finished on 4 under, and everyone felt his pain.  And though he was magnanimous in defeat and faced the media soon after, showing a maturity beyond his years, I wondered if this was just another experience that Rory McIlroy will place under his belt to win a major or would he follow in the golf shoes of Sergio Garcia, who also received global accolades and showed all the promise as a teenage golfer but choked on several occasions when it looked like he was about to win a major.  Sergio Garcia is now 31.

Martin Kaymer

Germany’s Martin Kaymer claimed the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and in the process has leap-frogged Tiger Woods in the world rankings. World No. 2, Martin Kaymer,won the Middle East tournament for a record third time in four years.

Kaymer, the current USPGA champion and winner of last season’s European Tour Race to Dubai, now has a week of practice before the Qatar Masters on February 3, 2011, after which he will join a star-studded field, including Tiger Woods and World No. 1 Lee Westwood, at the Dubai Desert Classic on February 7, 2011.

The reputation of Yas Links Abu Dhabi has been further reinforced after it played host to new World No. 2, Martin Kaymer, the day after he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship for a record third time in four years.

The 26-year-old German spent the day at the Middle East’s ‘best golf course’ – the region’s only links course and designed by renowned American architect, Kyle Phillips – to play centre-stage in a new Hugo Boss clothing photo shoot.

For Chris White, General Manager of Aldar Golf, developers of Yas Links, hosting the new World No. 2 is testament to the pedigree of the course.

He said: “Since the opening of Yas Links, we have hosted some of the world’s top players, including World No. 1 Lee Westwood, reigning US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell, two-time World Golf Championship winner, Darren Clarke, and of course the new World No. 2 Martin Kaymer, to name a few.

“The interest and attraction of Yas Links and what it has to offer is forever growing, with more and more people – from golf fans, avid players and professionals to international athletes and celebrities – wanting to visit the Middle East’s first links course.”

Westwood is unlikely to play for a month because of injury and this move was set to see him move ahead of Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings. However, Kaymer has won his last three events and could threaten the Englishman’s position.

After winning the Dunhill Links Championship, Martin Kaymer sits in fourth position currently. He is set to compete in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters in Spain though and success in this tournament could see him overtake both Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood.

This would be a more conventional way of going to the top of the rankings, winning tournaments rather than sitting out through injury, but that is the way the ranking system works.

It is calculated over a two-year period and because neither Tiger Woods nor Lee Westwood plan to play before 4th November, Westwood – who has had a better time of it than the American in recent months – would overtake him on the 31st October.

Nobody took into account the form of Martin Kaymer though. He has been in inspirational form and even if he doesn’t quite get to the top of the rankings this time, there can be no doubt that he is playing some of the best golf of the year right now.

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has been having his say on the situation, backing Westwood to be No.1 by the end of the month, despite Kaymer’s surge.

Montgomerie said: “”I think Lee will be number one even if he doesn’t play. If Tiger does not change his schedule he will lose his number one spot, it is just the way the world rankings work.”

The main point Montgomerie was keen to stress though was how healthy this is for European golf. Two players battling it out at the top of the World rankings can only be a good thing.
“We have had a fantastic year in Europe, said Monty.  “There is a dominance and there is a changing of the guard over to Europe.”

This is certainly the case, with the Ryder Cup victory coinciding with major wins for Kaymer and Graeme McDowell as well as six Europeans in the top ten of the World rankings.

Who will be top come 31st October though?

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Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter were mobbed as Hunter Mahan conceded the 17^th hole, giving Graeme McDowell the victory needed to bring the Ryder Cup back to Europe. All the Team Europe players gathered around Captain Colin Montgomerie as champagne and tears began to flow.

Colin Montgomerie told Sky Sports “It’s a proud, proud moment for me.”

Europe needed five points from today’s Singles and got the points they needed with wins from Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jiminez & Graeme McDowell; and Rory McIlroy and Edorado Molinari.

Team Europe won four Singles matches today:

Luke Donald beat Jim Furyk (1up)
Ian Poulter beat Matt Kuchar (5&4)
Miguel Angel Jiminez beat Bubba Watson (4&3)
Graeme McDowell beat Hunter Mahan (3&1)

The United States also won six Singles matches today:

Dustin Johnson beat Martin Kaymer
Jeff Overton beat Ross Fisher (4&3)
Tiger Woods beat Francesco Molinari (4&3)
Phil Mickelson beat Peter Hanson (4&2)
Zach Johnson beat Padraig Harrington (3&2)
Steve Stricker beat Lee Westwood (2&1)

Rory McIlroy v Stewart Cink – halved
Edorado Molinari v Rickie Fowler – halved

The young Irishman McIlroy had suggested that Tiger Woods had ‘lost is aura’ following an eventful few months off the golf course in Tiger’s personal life.

Suggesting that he would enjoy the repercussions if Woods is paired with McIlroy during the tournament, Pavin added, “I think other people have said things like that to Tiger in the past and have maybe regretted it.”

He was of course referring to similar instances in the past when Woods has been struggling and other players have attempted to unsettle his play.

In the 2006 World Match Play in California when Canadian Stephen Ames, Woods’ first-round opponent, said he fancied his chances, “especially where he’s hitting the ball”. The next day Woods won the first nine holes, seven of them with birdies, and sealed the match on the 10th.

Before that incident, back in 2000 in the Presidents Cup, Vijay Singh’s caddie wore a cap with ‘Tiger Who?’ printed on the front. When paired for the singles Woods recorded victory on the 17th hole.

And in 2010 at the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Newport – well, we will just have to wait and see!

The golf betting entities still have Tiger Woods standing as the favourite even after Woods’ poor performances, which is the reason the overall ranking between Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Lee Westwood has been reduced.

Woods accumulated 9.47 points, while Mickelson and Westwood have 9.24 and 9.04, respectively.

On his part, Phil Mickelson is one of the most recognized figures in the sport and will return to Northern Ohio to participate for the 18th consecutive year in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, taking into account that the American golfer has participated in this event since 1992.

In addition, the professional golfer has won four major championships, the last of which was won in April, when Phil Mickelson won the 2010 Masters Tournament.

However, since the Bridgestone Invitational became a World Golf Championship event in 1999, Mickelson has failed in his attempts to win it.

On the other hand, after missing five months and despite the dramatic return, Woods has arrived as a big favourite to this year’s tournaments.

For the 2010 Bridgestone Invitational, Tiger Woods will try to get his first win since he was involved in his infidelity scandals of last November.

However, we can’t expect that much, considering Woods has failed in his attempt to achieve a victory in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and at the British Open this year. But despite all this, he remains ranked as number one in the overall standings.

Finally, this will be a tournament that promises a lot of action, in which Woods will attempt to recover his good level of golf, but in which he will have a major contender that could remove him from the top of the table, Phil Mickelson.