Donald returns to world number one

Rory McIlroy takes a week off and look what happens.

Luke Donald won the Transitions Championship this morning which was enough to leap over Rory McIlroy and become golf’s world number one golfer, again. 

Donald won the tournament in dramatic fashion, winning a four-man playoff which included Sang-Moon Bae, Jim Furyk and Robert Garrigus.

It took him just one playoff hole to re-assume his role as number one in the world. The four golfers went back to the 18th hole after finishing on 13-under par with only Garrigus having birdied the hole all week. All four players hit the green in regulation during the playoff hole but only Donald made the birdie putt. Donald fired his ball into about 6-feet with his approach shot and he made the winning putt look easy.

The side story of the morning concerned Ernie Els. Els has not yet qualified for the US Masters and a win at the Transititons Championship would all but assure Els a spot in the field.

He had played the opening 16 holes in 6-under par and was a shot ahead of the field despite missing a short birdie putt on the 16th. He then proceeded to bogey the final two holes, including a short putt for par on the last which excluded him from the playoff.

We then saw one of the worst post-round interview’s of all time when a Golf Channel reporter had the nerve to ask Els if he felt confident over short putts. 

If we were ever going to see a golfer puch a reporter, it was then. Ernie, despite steam coming out his ears, was restrained. He’s a better man than most of us.