AUGUSTA, Ga. — The final tee shot in the threesome was barely airborne when hundreds departed the fourth tee at Augusta National, ignoring the current No. 1 in the world to chase after the former No. 1.
Playing in the group behind Tiger Woods, the enthusiasm for Luke Donald can only be described as polite. And, for the next four-plus hours, Donald did nothing to entice the masses to turn away from Woods.
Donald’s round was a messy collection of loose shots, an affliction difficult to sync with his superb balance, fine rhythm and reputation for being one of the best iron players in the world. Starting on No. 7, he missed seven of eight greens. He was left on 9, right on 10 and 11, and long three times. From the fairway on 11, leary of the pond to the left and clearly lacking confidence, he was 30 yards right of the green.
Early in the back nine, Donald lost most of the tag-alongs in the gallery. After he dumped his second in the creek on No. 13, chipped past the pin and off the green and made bogey, his following was pretty much friends, family and fellow Englishmen.
Back in the media facility, while Woods was on one of the two big screens answering questions about his even-par 72, the scorekeeper on the ladder put up Donald’s 75.
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It was a blah round that dovetails with his image, even to the brown scorecard holder sticking out of his right rear pocket and clashing with the black slacks.
Falling in step with a member of the media from England, there were encouraging words early in Donald’s round. Donald is shy, he said, but he’s getting better. He was funny Wednesday night at the Golf Writer’s Association of America dinner, the man said, joking about how he was not used to seeing so many American writers and telling them he had found a way to get more publicity, a remark he punctuated by pulling out a Rory McIlroy wig.
A year ago, Donald was in contention in the final round of The Masters when he dumped his tee shot into Rae’s Creek in front of the 12th green. On Thursday, hundreds of fans near the ropes on No. 11 turned away from Donald’s group to watch Woods tee off on No. 12. “He’s the Elvis of golf,” said one of those with his head on a swivel.
Early in the week, Donald was articulate and sensible about some things he had come to realize, the No. 1 ranking, and other things.
Still skeptical of the World Golf Rankings, there is no getting around the fact that Donald has won five times in little more than a year and crafted a first-ever exacta, leading the money list on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour in the same year. In 27 events, he banked almost $9.4 million.
It is Donald’s lack of success in the majors that is at the root of the naysayers’ argument and he did nothing Thursday to sway those who straddle the fence on his place in the world order.
Donald said that in four of his five victories, he did not play his best, a point he had taken to heart. Winning a major is similar, he said.
“I think a lot of people put too much pressure on yourself, and you go out there and you press a little bit too hard, and suddenly you’re a few shots back and trying to play catch-up,” he said.
After one round, he and the others are chasing Lee Westwood who posted a 67 highlighted by four straight birdies on the front nine.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His email address is hking@arkansasnews.com.