Donald back on top after PGA win

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

WENTWORTH: Luke Donald looked back with pride after successfully defending his PGA Championship title here at Wentworth on Sunday and returning to the top of the world rankings.

A year after becoming No 1 for the first time at the same event Donald was back at the head of the list for the fourth time in his career. The Englishman carded a total of 273, 15-under and won by four shots from Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and England’s Justin Rose.

Rose, who missed a six foot putt at the last which would have given him second place outright, had put the pressure on during the front nine before Donald eased away to win and displace Rory McIlory as world No 1. This was a much more comfortable win for Donald than last year’s when he had to win a playoff against Lee Westwood to take the crown.

Scotland’s Lawrie had a best of the day 66, six-under par, had only one bogey on his card and finished with a flourish by birdying the last two holes, both par-5s to add to the three other birdies and an eagle he had already collected.

Ireland’s Peter Lawrie, who had shared the lead after the first round, had two birdies in the first seven holes but his hopes went up in smoke with a triple bogey seven at the eighth and he finished on 280, level par and in fourth spot with South African Branden Grace a further shot back in fifth.

Donald became only the third player to win back-to-back PGA titles following in the footsteps of Sir Nick Faldo (1980-1981) and Colin Montgomerie, who won three times from 1998 and this was the fourth English win in a row here after Paul Casey, Simon Khan and Donald’s first victory last year.

Rose got level with Donald with back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth whilst Donald dropped a shot at the fourth. However Donald responded by holing putts of 15 and 18 feet at the sixth and seventh to go clear again.