Ryder Cup Captain Donald Leading By Example In Sun City

3 years ago by Comments Off on Ryder Cup Captain Donald Leading By Example In Sun City

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was leading by example on the opening day of the 40th anniversary Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in South Africa.

Donald, 44, entered the event, of course, with a first goal of victory or he would not have crossed the equator to tee-up and, if so, it would be a first DP World Tour winning toast in over a decade since capturing his four-shot 2012 BMW PGA Championship win.

No, most golf observers will know that in the bigger picture Donald has returned to ‘South Africa’s Major’ for a first occasion since 2014 very much wearing his 2023 Rome Ryder Cup cap.

With tournament host Gary Player, who turned 87 on the first of November, sitting under an umbrella to greet players walking onto the first tee, Donald went out to produce a very eye-catching round of seven birdies, including his closing two holes, in a seven-under par 65 in scorching conditions. If left Donald trailing just a shot behind in-form Kiwi Ryan Fox and the recent Dunhill Links champion signing for a 64.

The Chicago-based Donald’s effort is a lowest score since a 64 on day three of the 2019 Dunhill-sponsored event in St. Andrews.

“A little bit unexpected to be honest, I wasn’t showing much form coming into this week, so I’m feeling a bit better about my game,” said the current World No. 245.

“I kept it in play well off the tee and my iron play was really good. I think I hit 15 greens today and around this course, that is very pleasing. It’s tricky with the altitude and the wind swirls a bit here, I got the distances right all day, gave myself a lot of good looks and made a couple of putts, especially on the back nine.

“This isn’t an easy course, you can’t fake it around here. You have to stand up on certain tee shots with trouble on both sides. It plays with your mind a little bit, so to shoot a good score like that is always nice and good for your confidence.”

Not faking it was Italian sensation Guido Migliozzi, who Donald sought to play in his group and with the 26-year-old reigning Open de France champion not disappointing in shooting a five-under 67. 

“I’m getting some confidence, as that has been the key,” he said. “I didn’t strike the ball well, missed a lot of greens. I was just making up and down from everywhere and just kept going. You never know on this course.

“It’s been weird this year. I started the year aiming high, I had the opportunity to play the best tournaments in golf. I didn’t perform so I started to change something with my swing, changed coach as well. We’ve done great work and we’ve got the results”.

And one of those results, as mentioned, was capturing a third DP Tour title at Versailles at the end of September.



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