Luke Donald - AWOL?

Why would Luke Donald decide to play the Nedbank "exhibition" this week instead of going to Hong Kong and trying to wrap up the R2D?? OK, it's easy money and even easier world ranking points with a field of 12, but Luke has been talking a lot about how winning both money lists means so much to him........not as much as we thought??

The way McIlroy is playing, it wouldn't surprise me if he won again next week........................go on Rory.............

Doesn't Donald have to finish about 43rd even if Coco does win next week. Can't see that happening really, top 10 finish for Donald at least I'd guess.

Diggers,
I have no information on the Prize Fund for next week, but assuming it's the same as 2010 ( i believe it is), then if Rory wins, Donald will need 10th place.............kudos to Rory for turning down the easy money available at the Chevron and Nedbank to go and chase a title with REAL value

Donald's just playing the percentage game. Let's face it MCIlroy has now won what 5 times in his career of what 150-200 events. He's not what you'd call prolific really, he admits that himself.
Can't see McIrloy winning back to back but it makes next week interesting anyway. But does anyone really care who tops the European Money list anymore, bit of a nothing title whoever wins it.

The R2D is important to the players surely?? It would arguably be Donald's best achievement in his career so far, especially given that he has won the PGA Money title (albeit, that is devalued hugely by the Fed-Ex Cup)............

I think reaching world number 1 beats the R2D personally. It's just cash at the end of the day, how many times you play and how big the purses are is all arbitrary. Sure nice to have on the CV I suppose but no big deal.

Not sure about Luke's reasons... pre-commitments, timezones (South Africa is much closer timewise and probably climatewise to Dubai than HK is), etc. I don't think he wouldn't have envisaged that Rory could win this week, considering his very good previous track record in HK...

In any case, the task for Luke is not at all trivial next week. I will need to check this more accurately later, but I believe that if Rory wins again next week, Luke will need something like a top 12 or so to win the big pot of gold... Certainly not impossible for Luke, but not trivial either!
Very good for us viewers though, should make it that more interesting!

Presumably a much, much tougher field next week? So arguably tougher for both a Rory won and a Donald top 10.
Hopefully for me Donald shows how good he has become and wins to end the (far to long and by now really dull) season in style.
If Coco wins back to back then watch out for him in 2012, forget the R2D, him playing as he can every week and closing out events will terrify everyone else.

Whatever his motivation for going to S.Africa, Donald is playing for the first time in five weeks. Perhaps he felt he needed to wipe some cobwebs off his game before going to Dubai and this was the most lucrative way of doing it?

These two highly paid exhibitions this week are a blight on the game. Good for Rory for taking the most challenging route, but a bit disingenuous to suggest Donald ducked the Hongkers event if he felt he could not be at his best without a warm up - he's had more important things to deal with after all.

If Rory knocks Lukey off next week, good for him, he'll have deserved all the plaudits currently reserved for Donald. Great win for McIlroy this week, not so much about his tiredness after that performance.

If Rory manages to win it then fair play to him but when does Donald ever finish out of the top 10. Ive been wrong before but cant see it.

Why is Luke Donald being questioned for playing a silly season small field event? Didn't Rory do just the same thing a few weeks ago in Shanghai and ignore a European Tour event at Valderama? Maybe if he played that instead he would already be at he top of R2D. Perhaps he was looking for easy money and ranking points too

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Why is Luke Donald being questioned for playing a silly season small field event? Didn't Rory do just the same thing a few weeks ago in Shanghai and ignore a European Tour event at Valderama? Maybe if he played that instead he would already be at he top of R2D. Perhaps he was looking for easy money and ranking points too

No World ranking points in Shanghai.......................easy money - yes

My mistake JC, I thought I saw somewhere ranking points for it. All to play for next week, hope they both bring their A games.