2013 European Tour: Luke Donald’s Problems Follow Him To Malaysia
By Les Bailey
Play was suspended in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the Maybank Malaysian Open due to thunder storms in the area. It could not have come soon enough for world number three, Luke Donald, as his early season struggles have followed him to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Play will resume on Friday morning.
Donald started his day on the front nine, and when play was halted, was +2 over par, and in a tie for 108th place. He opened with a birdie on the first hole, but took a double bogey six at the second hole. He made two more birdies to make the turn at one under par, but bogeyed three holes in a row on the back nine before finishing with pars, and a 74 shot total for his day’s work.
After finishing his 2012 season with a T 3 at the European Tour final DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, he has been unable to get on-track since the new season began. He was ousted in the second round at The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships, and was tied for 43rd place at the Cadillac Championship two weeks ago. He did get a T4 finish last week at the Tampa Bay Championship, but has continually found a way to shoot himself in the foot.
At Doral, it was the 18th hole. Other than loosing more golf balls in the lake next to 18, than I lost the last time I played, he played pretty well. He just couldn’t solve The Blue Monster’s monster hole. He seemed to solve the Snake Pit last week, and went bogey free throughout the last 36 holes, but just wasn’t enough to get close to a challenge for the lead.
Luke Donald has never been a big striker of the ball, but his impeccable distance control, and short game has always carried him through tournaments. This year the normally mistake free game has produced some mistakes at crucial times that he has been unable to recover from. That’s just not the normal Luke Donald we know.
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