Transitions Championsip 2012: Luke Donald Returns to No. 1 After Playoff Win

Luke Donald prevailed Sunday in a four-way sudden death playoff to win the Transitions Championship and regain the official world golf No. 1 ranking.

Rory McIlroy's reign as the world's top golfer didn't last long. This win comes less than two weeks since Donald lost his top ranking to Rory McIlroy.

Donald defeated Jim Furyk, Sang-Moon Bae and Robert Garrigus in the first playoff hole, the 18th hole at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.

All four finished tied at 13-under in regulation, and were playing the second toughest hole on the course to start the playoff.

Bae was first off the tee in the playoff and his drive was straight down the middle of the fairway. Garrigus went up next and shot a towering drive that flew past Bae's ball by about 20 yards—also right down the middle of the fairway.

Furyk was third on the tee and his drive found the intermediate rough on the left side of the fairway just short of the bunker. Donald also found trouble with his tee shot and found the intermediate rough on the right side of the fairway.

Donald went first with his second shot. He went right for the flag stick and it was a beauty as the ball landed just five feet from the cup.

You can just sense the momentum had changed in Donald's way and the pressure started mounting on his playoff opponents.

Furyk went next with his approach shot and it went over the hole and went down the small slope to the right of the hole outside of the 20-feet range from the cup.

Bae's approach shot also went over the hole and also caught the right side small slope and was just inside the 20-feet mark from the hole.

Both would have pressure birdie-putts from a difficult spot on the green.

Garrigus was the last to hit his approach shot, but he had the shortest distance to the hole. His shot was also another beauty as his ball landed just opposite to Donald's, also about five feet from the hole.

He had a short putt to come but that had a little break to the left.

Furyk and Bae's birdie tries ran left of the hole and could only hope that both Donald and Garrigus would miss their putts to extend the playoff one more hole.

Garrigus went first and his putt broke slightly to the left as it was approaching the cup and he was distraught that he missed it that way.

Then came Donald's turn. You just know he is clutch in this kind of situation and he would not miss this opportunity not only to win, but to regain the No. 1 ranking. He sank the putt with ease and his climb back to the top of the rankings was official.

It was Donald's fifth PGA Tour win and after a slow start this year he is right back on top of his game. Just in time for his next tournament that will be The Masters on April 5th.

Just one shot behind the four-way tie atop the leaderboard were Scott Piercy, Jeff Overton, Ernie Els and Ken Duke.

Piercy shot 9-under today and had a chance to tie Padraig Harrington's course record on the 18th hole, but had to settle for par and was denied the chance to play in the playoff for the win.

Els had a chance to win the tournament as he had the lead at 14-under going to the last two holes. He closed with back-to-back bogeys and was also out of his chance to at least play in the playoff.

Garrigus had shot 7-under for the day and was the early clubhouse leader before Donald, Bae and then Furyk joined him to go into the sudden death playoff.

Harrington, who had set the course record in the opening round, finished T20 at 7-under. He just could not find that same magic he had on the opening round the rest of the weekend.

This was the another exciting finish for the Transitions Championship. It might not have the recognition of some other tournaments in the Florida swing of the PGA but keeps delivering.

The Masters is shaping up to be an exciting tournament with plenty of storylines developing. But for now it is on to the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Shell Houston Open the week after.

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