Luke Donald: Player Profile
Who is Luke Donald?
Luke Donald has had an incredible golfing career, topping both the PGA Tour and European Tour money lists and spending more than a year as the World No.1.
The Englishman’s professional career began with a win already under his belt, after he had won LaSalle Bank Chicago Open in 2000. He graduated from Northwestern University a year later with an Art Theory and Practice degree, and found himself on the PGA Tour in 2002.
Over the course of his professional career, Donald has won 17 times worldwide, including winning the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship in back-to-back years in 2011 and 2012. The Englishman has also won two World Golf Championships events. He won the World Cup alongside Paul Casey in 2004, before claiming the Accenture Match Play seven years later.
Donald made history that year, 2011. He became the first man to ever top the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season. Donald led the way on both the PGA Tour and European Tour money lists, going to World No.1 in the process.
Playing for Team Europe was another key part of Donald’s success as a golfer. He played in four Ryder Cups, making his debut in 2004. His last act as a player in the biennial team event was leading Europe out on Singles Sunday at Medinah, as the team fought back from 10-6 down to miraculously win 14.5-13.5. Donald was a winner with Europe in all four appearances in the competition, and captained Team Europe to victory at Marco Simone in 2023 as the Europeans won the Ryder Cup back. He will remain captain for the 2025 edition of the competition.
Luke Donald | An Overview
Personal Information
Name: Luke Campbell Donald
Born: December 7, 1977
Nationality: England
Residence: High Wycombe, England / Northfield, Illinois, United States / Jupiter, Florida, United States
Career
College: Northwestern University
Turned Pro: 2001
Professional Wins: 17
Highest World Ranking: 1 – May 29, 2011
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – T3 (2005)
– PGA Championship – T3 (2006)
– US Open – T8 (2013)
– Open Championship – T5 (2009, 2012)
Professional Wins – 17
2000 (1) – LaSalle Bank Chicago Open
2002 (1) – Southern Farm Bureau Classic
2004 (3) – Scandinavian Masters, Omega European Masters, WGC-World Cup
2005 (1) – Hero World Challenge
2006 (1) – Honda Classic
2007 (1) – Gary Player Invitational
2010 (1) – Madrid Masters
2011 (4) – WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, BMW PGA Championship, Barclays Scottish Open, Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Classic
2012 (3) – Transitions Classic, BMW PGA Championship, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
2013 (1) – Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
Achievements and Awards
Fred Haskins Award – 1999
PGA Player of the Year – 2011
PGA Tour Player of the Year – 2011
PGA Tour Money Winner – 2011
Race to Dubai Winner – 2011
European Tour Golfer of the Year – 2011
European Tour Players’ Player of the Year – 2011
Vardon Trophy – 2011
Byron Nelson Award – 2011
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Luke Donald
When and where was Luke Donald born?
Luke Donald was born in December 1977 in Hemel Hempstead, England. He grew up with the game, and played his junior golf at both Hazlemere and Beaconsfield Golf Clubs in the south of England.
When did Luke Donald turn professional?
Donald turned professional in 2001 following four years in the golf programme at Northwestern University. He studied Art Theory and Practice during his time at Northwestern, and won the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship title in 1999, breaking Tiger Woods’ scoring record. Donald made appearances on the PGA Tour using sponsor exemptions throughout 2001 before gaining his card for the 2002 season.
How many professional titles has Luke Donald won?
As of September 2023, Donald has won 17 times worldwide. He is a two-time BMW PGA Championship winner, having won the DP World Tour’s flagship event in back-to-back years, doing so in 2011 and 2012. He also has two World Golf Championships titles, having won the World Cup alongside Paul Casey in 2004, followed by the Accenture Match Play seven years later.
Who is Luke Donald married to?
Donald is married to Diane Antonopoulos, with the pair getting married back in 2007. They met at Northwestern, with the Chicago-native studying psychology. They have three daughters – Sophia, Elle and Georgina.
Did you Know?
Double Money Winner
2011 was an incredible year for Luke Donald, as he created history. He became the first player to top the money lists on both the PGA Tour and the European (now DP World) Tour.
World No.1 But No Major
Donald is one of just two players in the men’s game to have sat atop the Official World Golf Rankings despite having never won a major. His best major finish is T3, which he achieved at the Masters Tournament in 2005, and again in the PGA Championship in 2006. Fellow Englishman Lee Westwood is the other man to do so.
Sibling Caddie
Donald’s brother Christian is a caddie. Christian caddied for Luke up to 2009, and has gone on to work with Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer and Brendan Steele, who he currently caddies for.
Club Champion As A Junior
Luke Donald won the Club Championship at Beaconsfield Golf Club on two occasions. However, the first of those came when he was just 15-years-old.
Other Luke Donald Articles
Could Luke Donald have a Ryder Cup date with Tiger Woods in 2025?
Meronk out, Hojgaard in… Luke Donald names captain’s picks for Rome
Luke Donald names Jose Maria Olazabal as vice captain for Ryder Cup
Luke Donald sees funny side as announcer gets EVERYTHING wrong
What do you make of Luke Donald’s career as a World No 1 and Ryder Cup legend? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
