Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Luke Donald

Discover the career path of Luke Donald, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Luke Donald is an English professional golfer renowned for reaching the world number one ranking. He competes primarily on the PGA Tour in the United States and also holds membership on the European Tour. His career highlights include multiple PGA and European Tour victories, showcasing his consistent performance and precision on the course.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2001: Turns Professional

In 2001, Luke Donald turned professional, making his debut at the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour, but missed the cut. He earned invitations into six more events on the PGA Tour in 2001, making three cuts.

November 2002: Wins First PGA Tour Title

In November 2002, Luke Donald won his maiden title on the PGA Tour at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, which was shortened to 54 holes due to rain. He became the 11th rookie in PGA Tour history to earn over $1 million in his first season.

2002: Oil Painting Auctioned for Charity

In 2002, one of Luke Donald's oil paintings was auctioned by the PGA Tour for charity, showcasing his artistic talent beyond golf.

2002: Earns Tour Card

Luke Donald earned his tour card for the 2002 season by finishing T23rd at the Q-School.

August 2003: Third at Scandinavian Masters

In August 2003, Luke Donald finished in a tie for third at the Scandinavian Masters on the European Tour.

2003: Donald Signs with IMG

In 2003, Donald signed with sports management company IMG.

2004: European Tour Wins & Ryder Cup

In 2004, Luke Donald won the Omega European Masters and the Scandinavian Masters on the European Tour. He was also a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team and won the WGC-World Cup for England with Paul Casey.

2004: Donald fails to qualify for the Masters

In 2016, Donald's lack of form caused him to fail to qualify for the Masters in April, for the first time since 2004, due to falling down to 90th in the World Rankings.

April 2005: Rises in World Rankings

After Luke Donald's top-3 finish at the Masters, he rose in the World Rankings from 130th at the turn of the year to 13th in the world in April 2005.

March 2006: Wins Honda Classic

In March 2006, Luke Donald won his second U.S. PGA Tour event at the Honda Classic in Florida, which moved him into the top ten of the World Rankings for the first time.

September 2006: Ryder Cup Victory

In September 2006, Luke Donald won his singles match in the Ryder Cup and helped Europe win the trophy for the third successive time. Donald also won in the foursomes twice, with Sergio García.

2007: Luke Donald partners with Terlato Wines

In 2007, Luke Donald partnered with Terlato Wines to create a collection of bespoke wines, reflecting his interest in food and wine.

April 2008: Release of First Wine in Luke Donald Collection

In April 2008, the first wine released in Luke Donald's partnership with Terlato Wines was a Claret-style red wine blend, marking the beginning of his venture into the wine industry.

2009: Christian Donald stops caddying for Luke

Through to 2009, Luke Donald's brother, Christian Donald, caddied for him.

May 2010: Wins Madrid Masters

In May 2010, Luke Donald won the Madrid Masters by one shot, marking his first title in four years.

October 2010: Ryder Cup Victory

In October 2010, Luke Donald was a member of the European team that won the 2010 Ryder Cup with a one-point win over the USA.

2010: Donald Adds Dave Alred as Coach

In 2010, Donald added Dave Alred to his coaching team and worked with him until 2012. During this period he reached World Number 1.

February 2011: Wins WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship

In February 2011, Luke Donald achieved his biggest win to date at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, defeating Martin Kaymer in the final.

May 2011: Becomes World Number One

In May 2011, Luke Donald achieved the number one golfer position in the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.

May 2011: Wins BMW PGA Championship and Becomes World Number One

In May 2011, Luke Donald beat Lee Westwood in a playoff to win the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club, achieving world number one status.

July 2011: Wins Barclays Scottish Open

In July 2011, Luke Donald won his first tournament as the world number one at the Barclays Scottish Open, finishing four strokes clear of Fredrik Andersson Hed. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to heavy rain.

October 2011: Wins Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and Secures PGA Tour Money List Title

In October 2011, Luke Donald won his fourth title of the year at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, securing the PGA Tour money list title, the Vardon Trophy, the Byron Nelson Award, and the PGA Player of the Year award.

2011: Dominant 2011 Season

In 2011, Luke Donald had an outstanding year, winning the PGA Tour money list and European Race to Dubai, becoming the first player to win both in the same year. He was also named PGA Player of the Year and European Tour Golfer of the Year, and awarded honorary life membership of the European Tour.

2011: Secures European Tour Race to Dubai

In December, Luke Donald finished third at the Dubai World Championship and secured the European Tour Race to Dubai for 2011, becoming the first golfer to officially claim top rank on both PGA Tour and European Tour money lists in the same year.

March 2012: Briefly Loses Number One Ranking

In March 2012, Rory McIlroy briefly took over as world number one from Luke Donald, ending Donald's initial 40-week run at the top.

April 2012: Loses and Reclaims Number One Ranking

On 15 April 2012, Luke Donald lost the number one ranking to Rory McIlroy. After a four-week spell, Donald reclaimed the number one ranking after finishing third at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans two weeks later.

May 2012: Honorary Life Membership and BMW PGA Championship Win

On 23 May 2012, Luke Donald was awarded honorary life membership of the European Tour. On 27 May 2012, Donald retained his title at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, becoming only the third player to successfully defend the title.

May 2012: Regains World Number One Ranking

On 27 May 2012, Luke Donald regained the world number one ranking after successfully defending his BMW PGA Championship title.

August 2012: Equal Best Finish at Open Championship

In August 2012, at the Open Championship, Luke Donald equaled his best finish at the event with a tied 5th place. McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship, and Donald finished in a tie for 32nd place, again losing the world number one position to McIlroy.

2012: Donald Stops Working with Dave Alred

In 2012, Donald stopped working with Alred after citing an 'over-analysis' of his game as a factor behind poor performance in the 2012 Majors.

March 2013: Fourth at Tampa Bay Championship

In March 2013, Luke Donald finished in a tie for fourth as defending champion at the Tampa Bay Championship.

2013: Donald Ends Coaching Relationship with Pat Goss

In 2013, Donald worked with Pat Goss as coach from his time at Northwestern University until 2013.

January 2014: Donald signs with Lagardère Unlimited

In January 2014, Luke Donald left IMG and signed with agency Lagardère Unlimited. Donald also has a multi-year contract with Mizuno Corp to play with Mizuno Fairway Woods, Irons and Wedges. In January 2014, he also continues his sponsorship wearing his trademark Mizuno visor and has a sponsorship deal with Jordan, who supply his personal and golf shoes. He formerly had tour sponsorships with Royal Bank of Canada as well as Zurich Insurance.

2014: Donald Finishes Runner-Up at RBC Heritage

Following failing to qualify for the Masters Tournament in 2016, Donald finished in a tie for second place behind Branden Grace at the RBC Heritage. This was Donald's best PGA Tour result since 2014 at the same event.

2015: Donald Leads Nedbank Golf Challenge

During the first event of the 2015 European Tour season, at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Luke Donald led the tournament after 36 holes with a 63, and again after 54 holes, but finished in third place. Due to his fall to 66th in the world ranking, Donald had to face sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open for the first time in 11 years and managed to finish at the top of his qualifier at the Bears Club.

2016: Donald Fails to Qualify for Masters, Finishes Runner-Up at RBC Heritage

In 2016, Luke Donald didn't record a single top-10 finish in his first 10 events, causing him to fail to qualify for the Masters for the first time since 2004. The following week, Donald finished in a tie for second place behind Branden Grace at the RBC Heritage, marking his best PGA Tour result since 2014 at the same event. He held the 54-hole lead but was ultimately beaten by Grace.

April 2017: Donald Finishes Runner-Up at RBC Heritage

In April 2017, Luke Donald finished runner-up at the RBC Heritage, one stroke behind the winner, Wesley Bryan. It was the fifth time Donald had finished as a runner-up at the event without ever winning at Harbour Town Golf Links.

December 2017: Donald Announces End of Polo Ralph Lauren Sponsorship

On December 30, 2017, Luke Donald announced on Twitter that he would no longer be wearing Polo Ralph Lauren RLX on the golf course, ending a partnership that lasted for more than a decade.

January 2018: Donald Announces Greyson Clothiers Sponsorship

On January 2, 2018, Luke Donald announced that he would be sponsored by Greyson Clothiers going forward, marking a new partnership in his career.

October 2018: Donald Plays in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

In October 2018, Luke Donald played in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour, finishing T61. His world ranking had fallen to 609 by the end of 2018.

2018: Donald Named Vice-Captain for Ryder Cup

In 2018, European captain Thomas Bjørn named Luke Donald as a vice-captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup, where Europe regained the cup defeating the U.S. 17 1/2 to 10 1/2 points.

2019: Donald Contends at Valspar Championship

In 2019, Luke Donald contended at the Valspar Championship after returning from injury. He shot rounds of 67-70-70 over the first three rounds. He eagled the first hole in the final round but struggled later, finishing with a 73 and T9. This result moved him from 919th to 548th in the world rankings. Later in the season, Donald finished T10 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

February 2020: Donald's Medical Exemption Ends

In February 2020, Luke Donald's medical exemption ended. He did not meet the terms and used a career earnings exemption for the remainder of the season.

May 2020: Donald Revealed as Ryder Cup Vice-Captain

In May 2020, Pádraig Harrington accidentally revealed during an interview that Luke Donald would be his second vice-captain for the 43rd Ryder Cup match, to be played in September 2021, after being postponed one year because of the pandemic.