ContinueMy wish for this year's Open is that Luke Donald breaks, if you excuse his pun, his duck and wins his first major. Why? Well, partly because he is the world number one, and indeed has been, off but mainly on for 52 weeks, has won numerous prestigious tournaments, has played a massive part in European glory in recent Ryder Cups and was awarded an MBE last month in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The only thing missing from this unbelievable resume is a major. Partly because, having spent the best part of an hour with him last week chatting away in a hotel in Inverness, I discovered that Donald is one of sport's nice guys, a deep thinker who has paralysed himself with analysis when it comes to the majors, and readily admits it, but possess a nice line in dry wit and self deprecation, and understands that golf, for all the pressure and tension, is still only a game involving a white ball and a stick. And partly because if he wins it will stop people like me banging on about his notable absence from his otherwise impeccable CV.
This much we know. He is not alone. Lee Westwood is arguably even more frustrated than Donald, and don't even go there with Colin Montgomerie. What we don't know - or at least I didn't until we met last week - is the other side of Luke Donald, family man, husband, father and son, with two young daughters and another life in Chicago where, among other things, he has a major role in a couple of charities, the First Tee Programme (which teaches inner city, deprived kids the way to lead their lives through the etiquette of golf) and the Ronald Macdonald House (which provides housing for parents of seriously ill, hospitalised children).
He may have amassed his millions but he is putting this to very good use and he very clearly cares deeply about this work. His love of art has been put on the back burner, together with his piano-playing, but his new love (after his family and golf) is wine. Donald has two reds and a white to his name, having gone to Napa to conduct the blending himself, and he is very proud of this fact. It will only ever be a hobby, but one that he clearly takes seriously.
So there we have it. Luke Donald, former piano-playing artist, charity benefactor, wine proprietor and golfer, although not necessarily in that order. Let's hope he wins that major, preferably this week at Lytham, and then we can all raise a glass of Chateau Donald.
