Donald eyes chance for revenge over Tiger
Luke Donald may have to wait only until this Friday rather than next week’s Ryder Cup for the chance of some revenge over Tiger Woods.
The two will meet in the quarter-finals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth if Donald wins his first-round duel with South African Tim Clark and Woods overcomes fellow American Shaun Micheel.
A month ago the pair were joint leaders with a round to go in the US PGA championship in Chicago, but Donald managed only a two-over-par 74 as Woods eased to the 12th major title of his career with a 68.
Now the world number one arrives in England on a run of five successive tournament wins for his first appearance at Wentworth since he lost the 1998 final to Mark O’Meara.
Donald had a curious time in the event last year, hammering Bernhard Langer seven and six, but then being crushed nine and eight by Paul McGinley.
Following a long list of withdrawals Donald was the third seed then, but despite being the world number 10 he is seeded only seventh on this occasion.
He is one of five European Ryder Cup teammates in the 16-strong field competing for a first prize of £1m (€1.5m) – the biggest in golf. Even those who go out straightaway earn £60,000 (€88,000).
There is a first-round clash between two of them. David Howell, winner of the BMW Championship in May, faces Colin Montgomerie, who in addition to being the 1999 champion won three successive Volvo PGA titles on the course.
The winner of that will then meet either defending champion Michael Campbell or England's Simon Khan, the tournament outsider who qualified by finishing second to Howell four months ago and then fourth in the European Open in July.
Two of the American side took up the chance to play, Woods being joined by Jim Furyk, whose victory in the Canadian Open this weekend lifted him above Phil Mickelson to second in the world rankings for the first time in his career.
Because holder Campbell is the top seed in keeping with tradition, Woods and Furyk could meet in the semi-finals on Saturday.
But for that to happen Furyk would have to beat Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson and then either six-time winner Ernie Els, who missed the event last year following knee surgery, or Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, a beaten semi-finalist 12 months ago.
Paul Casey opens against fifth seed Retief Goosen, while Australian Adam Scott, who beat Els in a play-off for the Singapore Open on Sunday, starts against Canadian Mike Weir.
Draw for opening round on Thursday (seeded positions in brackets):
(1) Michael Campbell (Nzl) v (16) Simon Khan (Eng)
(8) David Howell (Eng) v (9) Colin Montgomerie (Sco)
(5) Retief Goosen (Rsa) v (12) Paul Casey (Eng)
(4) Adam Scott (Aus) v (13) Mike Weir (Can)
(3) Jim Furyk (USA) v (14) Robert Karlsson (Swe)
(6) Ernie Els (Rsa) v (11) Angel Cabrera (Arg)
(7) Luke Donald (Eng) v (10) Tim Clark (Rsa)
(2) Tiger Woods (USA) v (15) Shaun Micheel (USA)
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