As noted yesterday, to celebrate Masters week we are doing a few previews of the big favorites heading into Augusta. Yesterday we took a look at the top American favorites (Tiger and Phil), and today we go across the pond to look at Europe's best shot, Rory and Luke. And away we go.
Name: Luke Donald
Age: 34
World Ranking: 1
Major Titles: 0 (Best finish is T-3, twice)
Finish Last Year: T-4
What he needs to do to win: To slip on a green jacket for the first time, Luke needs to keep his Driver in check. We all know he's a world class short game and iron player, so it really comes down to his driver. Luke isn't a very long driver, and his accuracy can come and go. He needs to consistently be in fairways so he can use his irons to hunt for birdies. He might be able to get away with some erratic driving, but if he wants to be in the thick of things on Sunday, he'll need to be in the short grass at least 75 percent of the time.
What can go wrong: The biggest problem for Luke is confidence and how he copes with pressure. Yes, he won a few weeks ago to go back to World #1, but that still doesn't shrug the doubters off. Without a major, the pressure only can pile on him. Luke's primary goal this year has been to grab a major, and he can't let the pressure get to him. He needs to stay confident in his abilities throughout the whole week, because if he lets the pressure get to him a little bit, he'll be done.
Predicted Finish: I think Luke will play well this week, but not well enough to break though. I'm thinking he'll post a top-10 finish, but he'll come up just short in his bid for his first ever major championship.
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