Luke Donald wins WGC – Accenture Match Play

England’s Luke Donald beat new World Number 1 Martin Kaymer by 3 and 2 to win the final of the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Luke Donald
Fergus Bisset
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England's Luke Donald beat new World Number 1 Martin Kaymer by 3 and 2 to win the final of the WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Donald played an amazing week's golf in the first WGC event of 2011. The 33-year-old was never behind in a match and was never taken as far as the 18th hole.

The victory earned Donald over €1 million and catapulted him from ninth to third on the Official World Golf Ranking. With Kaymer now first, Lee Westwood in second and Graeme McDowell in fourth, European golfers occupy the first four spots in the rankings for the first time since 1992.

In the final, Donald saw a familiar pattern emerging as he raced into an early lead - three up through just five holes. Even a brief hailstorm couldn't throw the Englishman off his stride and it looked like being a procession to the title.

But Kaymer struck back, winning three holes in a row from the sixth to level the match at the turn. Donald was wobbling and needed to steady himself fast as he faced going behind for the first time all week after finding trouble at the 10th.

He managed to scrape a half there, however, after a brilliant up-and-down from a scrub area. He then moved back in front, holing a good putt on the 11th before Kaymer missed from closer range.

Donald also won the 12th and the deal was effectively sealed when the German missed a short putt for a half on the 15th. A half was all that was required at the 16th and the title went to Donald.

"It feels amazing. I've put a lot of work in over the last five years and it's nice to see it pay off," said Donald. "You always have doubts and the wheels were coming off a bit, so the up and down on the 10th was huge and to have three birdies in the last six holes was special. Hopefully it will open the gates. I'm not a modern-day player because I don't hit it that far and that makes it harder for me, but this is great win and I hope there are more to come."

In the consolation match, Matt Kuchar saw off Bubba Watson to take third place.

WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Arizona Feb 23-27, purse €6,200,000, par 72

1   Luke Donald (Eng)      €1,027,923 2   Martin Kaymer (Ger)      €624,096 3   Matt Kuchar (USA)      €440,538 4   Bubba Watson (USA)      €359,773 T5   J.B. Holmes (USA)      €198,242 T5   Miguel Angel Jimenez (Esp)   €198,242 T5   Ryan Moore (USA)      €198,242 T5   Y.E. Yang (Kor)         €198,242

Note: Player result in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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