Luke Donald declared ‘Baby comes first’ despite the prospect of him becoming the first player ever to finish top of the money list on both the European and U.S. Tour’s.
Donald’s wife is due to give birth to the couples second child in the second week of November and right at the most important time in the European Race to Dubai.
Luke Donald says 'Baby comes first' despite the thought of finishing the year as No. 1 in both Europe and the States. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
The Brit currently leads the Race to Dubai and more than Euro 1,260,000 ahead of South African and Masters champion, Charl Schwartzel.
In the States, the Chicago-based Donald is lying third on the PGA Tour money list and some $US 1/2m adrift of American Nick Watney.
Had Tiger Woods ever taken out European Tour membership he would have more than once finished No. 1 on both Tour’s but never in the history of pro golf has a player been able to win the money lists on both sides of ‘The Pond’.
Donald warmed to the idea when he attended a press conference on the eve of the WGC -Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
“That would be fun given no one has ever done it before,” said Donald.
“That’s an obvious incentive to try and win both the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai.”
But hindering that goal is the fact his wife is due to give birth to the couple’s second child in November and at the most important time of the year on the European Tour.
At the completion of the FedEx Cup Series in September, Donald will return to Europe to contest the back-to-back Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (September 29th to October 2nd) and Madrid Masters (October 6th to 9th).
Donald’s schedule is then uncertain.
“When I play the PGA next week that will be my 10th European Tour event, so I still have three more to play after that to satisfy the 13 I need to play,” he said.
“I will play the Dunhill and defend in Madrid and then I am taking some time off to be with my wife as she’s giving birth to our second child.
“I usually would play the HSBC Champions and perhaps something else around there, so I’m likely going to play Dubai, and then I’m down in Australia to play in December (See NEWS story on Donald contesting Australian Masters).
“But then I’ve put myself in great position. I’m leading the Race to Dubai by quite a margin right now. I’m third on the PGA Tour money list.
“I know Tiger has probably earned enough money through the years, but he was never a European Tour member so it would be an unbelievable achievement and something I would love to accomplish.”
But when quizzed by www.golfbytourmiss.com if it’s a case of the new baby comes first Donald confirmed: “The baby comes first.
“My wife would really like me to be around for the birth, and I would like be there, too.
“So family comes first.”
And after the shock of both he and World No. 2 Lee Westwood missing the cut at The Open, Donald says he’s better prepared for next week’s PGA Championship.
“I learned at Royal St. George’s that my short game was good enough that week,” he said.
“I really put it down to being a little bit of an anomaly because that’s the one part of my game that’s usually very solid.
“So it was just one of those weeks that very different to other weeks in terms of the greens, in terms of the short game stuff.”
