Golf Media Center

Luke Donald's Diary 10/01/2009

As always it was great to get back to Britain this week.

I’m playing with Jamie Redknapp in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and, while I’m looking for some good form in Europe for several reasons , I’m really looking forward to playing with Jamie and I know we’ll have a good time out there.

I’ve known Jamie for a few years. I met him on my honeymoon. We were staying at the same hotel as him and his wife. We got chatting and we’ve been friends ever since, almost three years now. Ruud Gullit’s in our fourball, too, so it’s a real soccer week for me.  It’s always awesome to play St Andrews. Carnoustie also a great course and Kingsbarns, too. I didn’t play in the tournament last year, of course, because of my injury.

Talking about the injury, I suppose there have still been repercussions from it this year. All things considered it’s been a consistent season. I’ve always been around that top 30 mark that you need to be. I played well in Chicago to force my way into the FedEx Cup and that told me I was playing consistently well. And any time you play at Atlanta in the last event, The Tour Championship and you’ve lasted the course in the FedEx Cup, you know you’ve had a pretty good season. A 25th in the Tour Championship and 30th in the FedEx Cup wasn’t a bad return.This time last year I had a lot of questions to ask myself. How was I going to come back? Was I going to be the same player? I haven’t lit any fireworks this year, but it’s been a solid year with six top-10s.

The only disappointing thing about this year is that I haven’t given myself enough chances to win. That might be something to do with the injury, it might not.  Every week, though, I feel like I’m working on the right things, getting a little bit better every week. I’ve got three or four events left and hopefully I can finish this year strongly with a win.

Looking into my game overall, tee-to-green I haven’t been as solid as I need to be. Giving up as much yardage as I do to the longer hitters, I need to be a little more consistent tee-to-green, hit more greens and give myself a few more birdie chances. My short-game’s been really good this year. Maybe because I’ve over-practiced my short-game, my shots tee-to-green have suffered. But every week I work on my swing and it’s getting a little bit closer. It’s a long process unfortunately.

“Mizuno has been giving me prototypes of a new driver to test that I like a lot – so maybe that will be the final piece of the puzzle off the tee.”

My driving has actually been a little bit better over the last few weeks.  Feels like I’m
almost where I want to be.  Mizuno has been giving me prototypes of a new driver to test that I like a lot – so maybe that will be the final piece of the puzzle off the tee.

So, it’s full steam ahead on the European Tour now, and my eye is on the Race to Dubai.
I’m 57th at the moment and only the top 60 will be in the Dubai World Championship at the end of the season, so I’m looking to seal my place. As well as this week, I’m playing next week in Madrid. Hopefully I’ll jump up that list.

Obviously the Ryder Cup is top of the list for me as well. That’s another chief goal. I always want to be on that team. I’ve had some amazing experiences in the past and I want more.
If I can play to my potential I feel I’ll be good enough to make the team. At home, everything’s coming along well with the new house, but like my swing, it’s a work in progress. The house is almost filled with furniture. Di’s done a great job.