The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Donald believes he can claim overdue victory
GOLF: Former world No 1 looking forward to RBC Heritage
Former world No 1 Luke Donald hopes to slot the final piece of the puzzle into place by claiming an overdue victory in the RBC Heritage.
Donald has recorded six top-threes in his last 11 starts at Harbour Town Golf Links, including finishing runner-up in 2016, 2014, 2011 and 2009.
The 39-year-old took a one-shot lead into the final round 12 months ago, but could only card a closing 71 as South Africa’s Branden Grace fired a 67 to claim his first PGA Tour title.
It was the third time Donald failed to convert a 54-hole lead into a win in the event, in which 29 of his last 31 rounds have been level par or better.
“I’m always excited to come here, I love this event,” the world No 96 told a pre-tournament press conference.
“It’s certainly a course that suits my game.
“I’ve had a lot of success in the last eight years, I’ve done everything but win. It’s like a puzzle, this course to me. I think you really have to think your way around it very well. You certainly don’t need to overpower this golf course.”
Donald’s best finish in six events this season is a tie for 17th in the Genesis Open, and he comes into the week on the back of a tie for 69th in the Houston Open.
For the second year running he failed to qualify for the Masters.
Donald was delighted to see his good friend Sergio Garcia win the Masters and has taken encouragement from the Spaniard claiming his first major at the 74th attempt.
“I still believe that I have the ability to win a major and win more tournaments,” Donald, who has played 53 majors, said.
“I’m not hanging up the clubs yet. I’m very committed to working hard on the game and getting past a little bit of a lull in my results the last couple of years.
“It’s certainly not been the golf that I wanted. But I’m working hard on it. And I still believe that I’m good enough.
“Anyone who can get to number one in the world for over a year I think has the ability to bounce back, and hopefully I will.”
Eight of the top 30 in the world rankings compete in South Carolina, including 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and Scotland’s Russell Knox, who finished tied second with Donald last year.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Jeunghun Wang hopes to rediscover his earlyseason form when he defends his Trophee Hassan II title at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam this week.
Wang won his maiden European Tour title in Morocco last year by beating Spain’s Nacho Elvira in a play-off, the 21-year-old making a birdie on the 18th to force extra holes and then repeating the trick twice in the play-off.
He immediately followed that up with victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and began 2017 in similar fashion by winning the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, but has made the cut in just one of his five stroke-play events since.
Consecutive rounds of 78 meant he missed the cut on his Masters debut at Augusta National last week, but he returns to Morocco at 48th in the world, the highest ranked player in the field.
The last six winners of the event – Wang, Richie Ramsay, Alejandro Canizares, Marcel Siem, Michael Hoey and David Horsey – are all in the field.