Luke Donald MBE is an English professional golfer, best known for previously holding the title of World Number One.
Born in England, Donald first began playing golf in his youth and was a member of Hazlemere and Beaconsfield Golf Clubs. At the age of 15, he won the Beaconsfield club championships, later going on to win a second time. In 1997, Donald began a golf scholarship at Northwestern University in Illinois, where he was coached by Pat Goss. In 1999, he notably won the individual NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships men’s title. The following year, he became the first amateur to win the Chicago Open.
In 2001, Donald turned professional, making three cuts on the PGA Tour in 2001. Over the years, Donald won several Masters and PGA Tour events, moving into the top ten of the World Rankings for the first time in 2006. Donald’s career reached new heights in 2011 when he won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. In 2011, he won numerous tournaments and was named the PGA Player of the Year and the European Tour Golfer of the Year. The same year, he won the BMW PGA Championship, helping him become the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking, a title which he held on and off for several years. Donald has spent a total of 56 weeks as World Number one and 200 weeks in the Top 10.
For his successes the previous year and gleaming golfing record, Donald was awarded an MBE in 2012 for his services for golf. Despite suffering injuries, the golf legend continues to play, continuing his fantastic three-decade spanning career. During this time, he has been sponsored by Zurich Insurance, Polo Ralph Lauren and Greyson Clothiers.