All eyes will be on Luke Donald’s leadership in New York in the last week of September as Europe look to claim the first Ryder Cup win on away soil since Medinah in 2012.
There he was, the lead player in the singles, where he would begin the comeback with a 2&1 victory over Bubba Watson, and this year he will become the first skipper to go back-to-back since Bernard Gallacher in 1995.
Born?
Donald was born in Hemel Hempstead on December 7, 1977, so he will be eligible for the senior circuit for the start of the 2028 season. He won the club championship at Beaconsfield at the age of 15.
Turned pro?
He turned pro in 2001, having achieved plenty in the amateur game. He played on two winning Walker Cup sides, contributing 7/8 points, and he won the individual NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships title in 1999, beating Tiger Woods’ scoring record while at Northwestern University. He also became the first amateur to win the Chicago Open in 2000.
First pro win?
Donald earned his PGA Tour card for the 2002 season through Q School, and in November of that year year he claimed his first victory at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
He would birdie 15, 16 and 17 on the Saturday for a 67 and one-shot lead over Deane Pappas, and then the final round was washed out. He was just the 11th rookie in PGA Tour history to earn more than $1 million in his first season.
Married?
He met Diane Antonopoulos while at Northwestern, and they married in Santorini in 2007. They have three daughters, and they are reported to have had homes in both Illinois and Jupiter, Florida.
Car?
The Englishman supposedly drives a BMW M4, though, unlike many of his peers, he doesn’t appear to have a fleet of top-range motors tucked away at home.
Favourite sporting teams? Donald has always been a big Tottenham Hotspur fan, which ties in with his place of birth. Despite being a big sports fan, there are rarely any mentions of Donald being a fan of any of the Chicago teams in the States.
Earnings?
His career PGA Tour earnings are currently just short of $38million. In Europe, the figure is just shy of €17m. Then you have a raft of sponsorship deals over the years.
The former World No.1 has always been with Mizun; there are reports that he used to receive $1m for just wearing their logo on his visor, and previously he has been with Royal Bank of Canada, Zurich Insurance and Polo Ralph Lauren.
In more recent years, he has been with Jordan shoes and Greyson Clothiers. Donald’s look has always been one of less is more, with a big slant on classy and traditional.
Equipment?
Donald did have a Ben Hogan visor in his very early days on tour, but by 2003, he was with Mizuno, and he’s been the same ever since.
The Englishman has always been known as a brilliant wedge and iron player, and he would sign a third deal with the Japanese manufacturer as recently as 2023.
He looks to have had a 10-club deal over the year, which means he has been free to use other drivers, and he has always been associated with the Odyssey White Hot #7 putter.
Then there is the trademark visor.
Biggest achievement?
Donald had four stints as the World No. 1, for a total of 56 weeks, and he last held that coveted spot in the middle of 2012. Only two male No. 1 golfers have failed to win a Major, with Donald and Lee Westwood being the two to miss out.
Donald was never a prolific winner; there were just five wins on the PGA Tour, with the WGC-Match Play the stand-out highlight, while in Europe, he was twice victorious around Wentworth. But even with the bias of recent years, his Ryder Cup captaincy in 2023 was better than anything.
He would take over the captaincy in unique circumstances from Henrik Stenson and, from there, he never missed a beat. If he can repeat the trick at Bethpage Black in late September, it would trump everything.
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Article Link: Inside the life of Luke Donald: Net worth, career earnings, wife, equipment