Donald achieves remarkable order of merit double

Dubai: World number one Luke Donald has become the first player to win the money-list crowns in Europe and the United States. Rory McIlroy needed to win the Dubai World Championship to deny the Englishman the chance of topping the order of merit in Europe and the young Northern Irishman finished down the field after closing with a 71 on Sunday. Donald had already clinched the US Tour’s money-list crown in October. McIlroy has been tired and drained after suffering with a viral infection for a couple of weeks and he said this had simply been a tournament too far at the end of a hectic schedule of playing events. [caption id=“attachment_153480” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Donald of England watches his shot from the 10th tee during the final round of the Dubai World Championship in Dubai. Reuters”]  [/caption] “I couldn’t get anything going when I needed to. I played a nine-hole stretch, the last two on Friday and the first seven on Saturday, in five over. That’s where the tournament got away from me,” McIlroy told reporters after closing on 279, nine under. The world number two also said he would be skipping next week’s Thailand Golf Championship, the last event of the season on the Asian Tour. “I can’t wait to have a few weeks off,” added McIlroy. “People telling you what to do and where to go. “Another flight, more sleeping patterns messed up. Next week would have been a big struggle too. “The doctor told me last night that no matter how bad I’m feeling now I’d be even worse if I played next week.” McIlroy will next be in action at the Abu Dhabi Championship from January 26-29. Luke Donald who? * Born December 7, 1977 in Hemel Hempstead, England. * Turned professional in 2001. Won the Southern Farm Bureau Classic the following year, becoming the 11th US PGA Tour rookie to earn more than $1 million in his first season. * Won the European Masters and Scandinavian Masters on the European Tour in 2004. * Member of the victorious European Ryder Cup teams in 2004, 2006 and 2010. * Won the World Cup for England in partnership with Paul Casey in 2004. * Moved into the world top 20 in 2006 and later in the year made the top 10 after winning the Honda Classic. 20ll SUCCESS * Won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, beating Martin Kaymer 3&2 in the final. It was his third US PGA Tour victory but his first in an elite World Golf Championship event. * Finished tied for fourth at the 2011 US Masters after winning the par-three tournament at Augusta. * Beat Lee Westwood in a playoff at the PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, replacing his compatriot as world number one. * Despite poor showings at the US Open and British Open, Donald won the Scottish Open in between the two majors in early July and recorded another top-10 finish at the year’s final major, the US PGA Championship in August. * Donald maintained his consistency until the US PGA Tour’s season-ending Disney Classic where, having to win to pip American Webb Simpson for the money-list title, he fired a closing eight-under 64 to claim his fourth victory of the season. * Came under pressure from world number two Rory McIlroy in the race to win the European Tour order of merit. When the Northern Irishman failed to win the Dubai World Championship, it was confirmed Donald would finish top. * Donald is a keen amateur artist who earned a degree in art theory and practice at Northwestern University in the US Reuters