Donald BMW Win Reclaims Top Spot

Luke Donald regained top spot in the world rankings in emphatic fashion with a four-shot victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The reigning champion fired a final round of 68 to finish well clear of compatriot Justin Rose and Scotsman Paul Lawrie and retain his title.

The Englishman's sixth victory in the last 15 months also moves him back above Rory McIlroy, who had missed the cut by no less than eight shots on Friday, in the rankings.

Resuming his final round with a two-shot lead, Donald found himself joined at the top of the leaderboard by Rose just four holes into Sunday's play.

However, the 34-year-old put his foot on the accelerator to go clear once more, producing back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh.

Once he had gone three clear with a 25-foot putt at the short 10th, Donald never looked like being caught again. He picked up further shots at the 12th and 15th to take the first prize of almost £600,000 on 15 under par.

"To come and defend and get back to number one is very sweet indeed," Donald said afterwards.

"I was just trying to keep my head down and plug away. I was swinging well and I've putted well all week.

"I just needed to settle down a bit. This is a big week and I felt some of the pressure.

"After the fourth I didn't give him (Rose) another hole where he was teeing

off first other than the 18th. I got the job done.

"I take a great amount of satisfaction. It means I am doing the right things - the hard work is paying off and I have a great team around me."

It was all a far cry from 2011 at the same venue when a play-off was required to see off the challenge of Lee Westwood, with that victory seeing him also take over as world No.1 from the man he had beaten to the title.

Now Donald heads to American soil, playing in the Memorial tournament in Ohio next week as he builds up towards the US Open in San Francisco on June 14-17.

Rose missed a plethora of birdie chances to put pressure on his countryman and ended up signing for a 70, leaving him in a share for second place with Paul Lawrie (66). 

Peter Lawrie finished alone in fourth on eight under.

Lawrie Drives Home Fourth at BMW

A triple bogey on the seventh for Peter Lawrie on Sunday at the BMW PGA Championship was the worst error in an aggregate score of 280, which saw the Dubliner lead the event on the first two days – the flagship tournament for the European Tour. 

Then a remarkable double birdie finish, as he played in the second last group, secured fourth place outright, just three strokes behind his namesake Peter, and England’ Justin Rose – a winner already this season on the PGA Tour. 

With an opening round of 66 on Thursday, including an eagle on the par five 4th, signalled his intent early doors. In typically steady, the Dubliner did not relent throughout even when paired with world number 2, Luke Donald. 

In the end the title was not to be his on this occasion after the mishap before the turn. But his comeback on the back nine gave him a one under par 71 finish – to round off the weekends work with a payday of €225,00. In what has been so far a quiet season with only two top twenty finishes  – at The Sicilian Open and at Reale Seguros Open de España. 

Lawrie is now 38th in the Race to Dubai rankings. 

Peter claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the Open de España in 2008, defeating home favourite Ignacio Garrido in a play-off. Enjoyed a fine performance as defending champion in 2009, finishing tied third. 

he made history at the end of the 2003 season when he became the first Irish golfer to win the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. 

Educated at the University College Dublin where he undertook a golf scholarship, Peter graduated to The European Tour through the European Challenge Tour, finishing fourth in the Rankings at the end of 2002. All helped by a superb victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final. 

His elevation to The European Tour was testament to his determination, having spent one year on the Asian Tour and three seasons on the Challenge Tour before achieving his goal. 

Peter was capped at boys, youths and national level for Ireland as an amateur. In his early days as a professional, he played in Asia and Florida, gaining a ‘Mini Tour’ victory in America’s Sunshine State.

BMW PGA Championship Result

Higgins Could Add Wales Open to Plans

David Higgins has ended a magnificent performance at the BMW PGA Championship on a sun kissed Wentworth Course, with a two under par 70, and slaying a tough West Course that over the past four days has taken a number of high profile Irish casualties.

None less than the most recent World Number One, Rory McIlroy, the current Open Champion Darren Clarke, the 2010 US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell and three time major winner Padraig Harrington - along with  a string of other illustrious names.

Amidst all that carnage Higgins exuded composure travelling around Wentworth with a remarkable consistency  - that suggests there is more to come - and carding three rounds of 70, with the one blip on a windy Saturday when reaching the historic gothic clubhouse in a two over par 74

In his third consecutive appearance at the BMW PGA Championship Higgins slayed his own demons on Sunday, conscious of his chase to clinch a vital tenth place - and eligible for an automatic invite to next week's Wales Open at The Celtic Manor.

A task easier said than done, and one filled with memories of two bad outings no doubt on the West Course in 2011 and 2010 when he missed the cut - and by double digits. 


On Sunday though the likable Kerry man proved  a few things to himself and no doubt to many others too.

Armed with a textbook swing, Higgins has been convinced that he has unfinished business on the European Tour, a place he departed from when he lost his automatic playing rights in 2008. Albeit he qualified for the Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009, Higgins has seen limited Tour Event - starts beyond his regular domination of the Irish PGA region order of merit.

A number of visits to Tour School over the past number of years have also proved fruitless, along with some disappointing outings at the Irish Open in Killarney. All enough perhaps to kill the desire of some. But not for David Higgins, who now can make more travel plans with his cheque for €78,300 in his back pocket, as a bonus.

An achievement  that deserves recognition.

Lawrie Still Leads Irish BMW Challenge

Peter Lawrie dropped shots on the fourteenth and fifteenth on Friday and repeated the same again on Saturday at the BMW PGA Championship to lose touch with his playing partner, Luke Donald, who waltzed through Wentworth in 69 strokes - to take the outright lead. 

Lawrie was left trailing Donald by four in the end and no doubt a disappointment for the Dubliner given it had been nip and tuck for most of early part of the round. It also let Justin Rose into second spot - on 9 under - which  now will see Lawrie paired the second last match with local resident, Ernie Els. 

Ten places behind though is David Higgins who will also be reflecting on his round of 74, which could prove even more costly on Sunday if he is unable to garner two birdies and seize a top ten finish on the West Course. That kind of result would guarantee a place at Celtic Manor next week for the Wales Open, a very good pay cheque and the start perhaps of a career revival – and an escape from the Irish PGA region to pastures new. 

Double bogeys though on the seventh and twelfth were where the major damage was done for the Waterville native.

Gareth Maybin ended Saturday with problems of similar kind having dropped eight shots on the day, with four birdies dotted through his card to limit overall score to 74 – and remain level; overall. 

Paul McGinley ended round 3 one over par in a three days where he has failed so far to match the sparkling 65 he carded in Korea at the Ballantine's last month. But there is always Sunday for such good news. 

Damien McGrane has got little out if Wentworth this weekend with a 75 on Saturday securing a 3 over in total, courtesy of four consecutive bogeys just before the turn. With  only one top ten finish so far this season, a second place at the Trophee Hassan, McGrane has yet to find the consistency that characterise his past two European Tour seasons. 

For Shane Lowry though the sense of the struggle was palpable carding a 79 on Saturday -  after making the turn in 41 strokes he then added a double bogeyed on the tenth. 

But all eyes are on Luke Donald who is on course to retain his BMW PGA Championship title - and return to World Number One - after defying testing conditions with a third round of 69 in front of record Saturday crowds 

More than 25,000 spectators flocked through the gates at Wentworth Club to witness the English Ryder Cup star showed his class with a joint-best round of the day in strong winds.

Needing only a top eight finish to take the World Number One spot back off Rory McIlroy, who opened the door by missing a second successive cut, the 34 year old is now 11 under par and two ahead of Justin Rose. 

Donald is trying to follow Sir Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to make a successful defence of The European Tour's flagship event. Faldo did it in 1980 and 1981, while Montgomerie had three wins in a row from 1998 to 2000.

Overnight leader James Morrison endured a difficult day, however. Four clear after a sparkling second round 64, the World Number 236 signed for an 81 and will go into the closing 18 holes eight strokes off the lead. 

In contrast, Donald plotted his way around like the expert he now is, gathering birdies at the first two par fives and then going two clear at the 13th after Lawrie hit into the trees and bogeyed. 

Joint fourth are former Open Champion Paul Lawrie and South African trio Branden Grace, Richard Sterne and Ernie Els. 

Donald said: "The tougher the better for me. The good players that can be patient and deal with it are always going to rise to the top usually. 

"That was by far my best round of the three. The wind was swirling and I hit a lot of solid shots.

"There were a couple of loose ones coming down the stretch, but I'm very pleased with that finish - it was hugely important for me.

"Physically and mentally it was tough and it's going to be a grind tomorrow." 

Lawrie and Donald Battle on Course

Peter Lawrie reached three under par through twelve holes and for a moment claimed the outright lead of the round three of the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday, setting the pace at 12 under - edging ahead of World Number Two Luke Donald.

Donald also wasted little time claiming a share of the lead during the third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.

While overnight leader James Morrison struggled with a bogey at the first and a triple-bogey eight at the fourth, Donald birdied the latter to move to nine under par.

That took The Race to Dubai champion into a share of top spot with Scotland’s David Drysdale.

Morrison, who was off the green in four, duffed a chip then two-putted the long fourth, was back to eight under and faced a real test of character to try and remain in contention.

The former England Youth cricketer - he played with Alastair Cook and Tim Bresnan - had gone round in a sparkling 64 on Friday to take charge of the European Tour's flagship event.

Donald, needing a top-eight finish to go back to World Number One after Rory McIlroy's second successive missed cut, was bunkered on the first, but saved par from 12 feet.

He was then on in two at the fourth and two-putted to move to nine under, while Drysdale, 291st on the Official World Golf Ranking and yet to win a European Tour event, made a 12 footer on the short second.

David Drysdale also found trouble either side of the turn , with a quadruple  bogey on the eighth  knocking him back down the field.

Course re-designer Ernie Els was moving into the picture, birdies at the fourth and sixth helping him to reach five under with four to play.

The best early score was a 69 from Ian Poulter that took him to three under, while Lee Westwood had a 70 that included six birdies, but also a 30 foot putt for a triple-bogey seven on the 13th, where he twice left shots in a fairway bunker and had a penalty drop in between. 

Things did not get better for Morrison. He was bunkered on the short fifth and bogeyed, then had another eight - this time a quadruple bogey - after going in the water on the eighth.

From 12 under he had dropped to three under and from four clear had tumbled seven behind new leader Lawrie, who birdied the eighth and tenth to reach ten under.

The Dubliner led Donald by one and Rose by two, but Drysdale was twice in the lake at the eighth, also took eight and on five under was down to joint fifth.