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Luke Campbell Donald MBE is an English professional golfer born on December 7, 1977, in Hemel Hempstead, England. He attended Northwestern University on a golf scholarship and turned professional in 2001. He has had an illustrious career, becoming the world number one golfer in 2011 and winning several awards and tournaments. He has represented England in golf's World Cup and captained the European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup. Despite struggling with injuries in recent years, he continues to play golf competitively. So, is Luke Donald still golfing?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Luke Campbell Donald |
| Birthdate | 7 December 1977 |
| Birthplace | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Current World Ranking | 875th |
| Highest World Ranking | Number One |
| Year of Highest Ranking | 2011 |
| Awards | PGA Player of the Year, European Tour Golfer of the Year, Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) |
| Wins (as of 2025) | 0 |
| Wins (as of 2021) | 5 |
| Current Age | 47 |
| Age in 2021 | 43 |
| Current Sponsors | Greyson Clothiers |
| Former Sponsors | Polo Ralph Lauren |
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What You'll Learn
Luke Donald's golfing career
Luke Campbell Donald MBE is an English professional golfer and former world number one. Born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, on 7 December 1977, he began playing junior golf at Hazlemere and Beaconsfield Golf Clubs. He was twice the club champion of Beaconsfield, first winning the championship at the age of 15.
Donald took a golf scholarship to Northwestern University in 1997, where he studied art theory and practice. He won the individual NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships men's title in 1999, beating the scoring record previously held by Tiger Woods. He became the first amateur to win the Chicago Open in 2000 and turned professional in 2001.
Donald had an outstanding year in 2011, winning several tournaments and awards. He won the PGA Tour money list and the European Race to Dubai, becoming the first player to win both money lists in the same year. He was named the PGA Player of the Year and the European Tour Golfer of the Year, and was awarded honorary life membership of the European Tour. In May 2011, he became the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the BMW PGA Championship.
Donald has experienced further success since 2011, including becoming the first Englishman to win the PGA Tour's Vardon Trophy and the Mark H. McCormack Award for the most weeks at number one during a calendar year. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to golf. In 2013, he experienced some setbacks, missing the halfway cut at the BMW PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, but still recorded the first top 10-finish of his career in a U.S. Open tournament.
In 2017, Donald announced via Twitter that he would no longer be wearing Polo Ralph Lauren RLX on the golf course, and in 2018, he revealed that he would be sponsored by Greyson Clothiers. In 2020, he was appointed as the second vice-captain for the 43rd Ryder Cup match. In 2022, he was announced as the captain of the European Ryder Cup team for the 2023 matches in Italy, leading the team to a victory over the United States.
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His golfing achievements
Luke Donald is an English professional golfer and former world number one. He is one of only two golfers to achieve the world number one ranking without winning a major.
Donald's amateur career included 13 tournament victories, including the Northeast Amateur title and the Walker Cup. He took a golf scholarship at Northwestern University in 1997, where he won the individual NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships men's title in 1999, beating the scoring record previously held by Tiger Woods. He also became the first amateur to win the Chicago Open in 2000.
Donald turned professional in 2001, making his debut at the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour. He had an outstanding year in 2011, winning several tournaments and awards. He won the PGA Tour money list and the European Race to Dubai, becoming the first player to win both in the same year. He was named the PGA Player of the Year and the European Tour Golfer of the Year, and became the first Englishman to win the PGA Tour Player of the Year award. He also won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, becoming the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Donald's other notable achievements include winning two World Golf Championships events: the World Cup in 2004, where he partnered with Paul Casey, and the Accenture Match Play Championship in 2011. He has also secured sponsorships with companies such as Polo Ralph Lauren and Greyson Clothiers, and has created a collection of bespoke wines in partnership with Terlato Wines. In 2012, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to golf.
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Sponsorship deals
Luke Donald MBE is an English professional golfer and former world number one. He has 17 professional wins and has represented five championship European Ryder Cup teams. In 2011, he became the first player to win both money lists on the PGA and European Tours in the same year.
Since turning professional in 2001, Donald has had several sponsorship deals. He has worn the Mizuno logo on the front of his visor and played with Mizuno clubs since his college days at Northwestern University. In 2024, he signed a multiyear deal with World Wide Technology (WWT), which will see him sporting the WWT logo on the front of his visor, while Mizuno will have space on the side of his hat. As part of the deal, Donald will also take on broadcasting responsibilities, serving as the lead analyst for the St. Andrews Links Collegiate in October, which is sponsored by WWT and Topgolf.
Prior to the WWT deal, Donald had a sponsorship agreement with Mizuno worth $1 million per year, which could quadruple to $4 million if he won the Masters. This deal included wearing the Mizuno logo on his cap and using Mizuno clubs.
In addition to WWT and Mizuno, Donald has also been sponsored by Greyson Clothiers, a golf apparel company. He is known for his style and class both on and off the golf course, and Greyson has become his go-to look.
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$12.99
Golfing injuries
Luke Donald MBE is an English professional golfer and former world number one. He is currently still golfing, and in 2023, he captained the European team in the Ryder Cup.
Donald has had several golfing injuries throughout his career. In 2008, he sustained an injury to his left wrist at the U.S. Open, forcing him to withdraw from the tournament during the final round. This injury resulted in a six-month layoff from competitive golf, causing him to miss significant tournaments.
Additionally, Donald has struggled with a back injury that has impacted his career. In 2018, he experienced a worsening of his back issues due to herniated L4 and L5 discs, which kept him out of competition for almost a year. During this time, he underwent stem-cell therapy to aid his recovery. In an interview, Donald expressed doubts about returning to his previous level of performance due to the severity of his back problems.
Donald's back injury resurfaced in 2024, causing him to withdraw from the World Wide Technology Championship. The injury forced him to pull out midway through the third round, and the extent of his injury's impact was unknown at the time.
Despite these setbacks, Donald has persevered and continued his golfing career. He has achieved numerous accolades and victories, including winning the PGA Tour money list and European Race to Dubai in 2011, becoming the first player to win both in the same year.
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Current golfing ranking
Luke Campbell Donald MBE is an English professional golfer and former world number one. He plays mainly on the U.S.-based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour.
Donald's current world ranking is 861. He is not currently ranked in the top 300 of the world golf rankings. His peak world ranking occurred on 24 October 2011, when he was ranked #1 with 10.752 world ranking points. He first became world number one on 30 May 2011, and was most recently the top-ranked player on 30 July 2012. His longest streak as the top-ranked player was 39 consecutive weeks between 30 May 2011 and 20 February 2012. Luke Donald has spent a total of 219 weeks ranked in the top 10.
In 2011, Donald had an outstanding year, winning several tournaments and awards. He won the PGA Tour money list and European Race to Dubai to complete a historic double, becoming the first player to win both money lists on the PGA and European Tours in the same year. He was named the PGA Player of the Year and the European Tour Golfer of the Year. He also became the first Englishman to win the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, the PGA Tour's Vardon Trophy, and the Mark H. McCormack Award for the most weeks at number one during a calendar year.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Luke Donald is still golfing. As of 2025, he is playing in the PGA Tour and is a member of the European Tour.
As of 2021, Luke Donald was ranked 514th in the world. He was previously ranked world No. 1 in 2011.
Luke Donald is a professional golfer and former world number one. He was the first player to win both money lists on the PGA and European Tours in the same year (2011). He was also awarded honorary lifetime membership of the European Tour and appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012 for his services to golf.
Luke Donald has struggled with injuries and form in recent years. He withdrew from the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship due to a back injury. He has also missed the cut in several tournaments, including missing 11 of his last 12 weekends before the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2021.
