Donald Leads but Kaymer & McIlroy Closing in Race to Dubai on European Tour

World Ranked No. 1, Luke Donald still needs to win the European Tour’s money race, The Road to Dubai, to complete the his quest of becoming the first professional golfer to win the money titles on both the European and PGA Tours.

He has already completed the first hurdle of his task by claiming the trophy at the PGA Tour’s last event, The Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, in October.  He pocketed the first place check of $846,000 and finished ahead of Webb Simpson by a little over $330,000 to claim the PGA Tour’s money list title.   

The PGA Player of the Year ballots have been mailed out and it is expected that Donald will also be elected to that honor by his fellow PGA professionals.

Luke Donald currently leads the Race to Dubai by a little more than 1 million Euro over 2010 Race to Dubai winner Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy.  Coming off of his spectacular 2010 season and PGA Championship win, Kaymer began 2011 strong but has not had a particularly good summer in 2011.  Kaymer picked up 4.9 million Euro for his win last week at the WGC-HSBC Championship in China which thrust him back into the Euro Tour’s money title race.

Donald was not able to play in the WGC-HSBC nor will he tee it up this week in the Barclay’s Singapore Open, another big purse event on the European Tour.  His wife is expecting their second child and Luke is staying home to be there for the birth. 

In another setback Luke’s father, Colin Donald, died suddenly Monday night.  Luke has a lot on his plate in the coming weeks.

Six events remain on the 2011 European Tour schedule, but it appears that the Race to Dubai winner will be determined at the European Tour’s season ending Dubai World Championship.  It is the only event remaining that will offer a large enough purse to affect the Race to Dubai title. 

Luke Donald is attempting to accomplish something that has never been done before.  He overcame one huge challenge by overtaking Webb Simpson in the last tournament of the season to capture the PGA money title. 

Can he overcome the death of his father, and the responsibilities that go along with a newborn child, then travel around the world and win the Race to Dubai?