The Associated Press
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.—Missing the Masters made Luke Donald’s blood boil.
The former world No. 1 channelled that anger to shoot his best round since January—a five-under 66 at the RBC Heritage yesterday that left the Englishman tied with Branden Grace for the first-round lead.
The two were a stroke ahead of four players, including the world’s current top-ranked player in Jason Day.
Day caught Donald and Grace at the top heading to Harbour Town Golf Links’ closing lighthouse hole.
But he took an unplayable lie in a bunker when his ball bored into the sand and made his lone bogey to fall back.
Donald had been a major tournament mainstay since first playing Augusta National in 2005.
However, he’s fallen badly the past couple of seasons (he’s 95th in the world ranking) and was forced to watch the Masters at home instead of playing for a green jacket.
Donald shared his frustration on social media, posting on Instagram that not playing the major “quite frankly, it makes my blood boil.”
So Donald turned things around at one of his favourite layouts in Harbour Town Golf Links, carding his best score in three months since consecutive 65s at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I feel like I’ve got a few good years ahead of me,” said the 38-year-old Donald.
“I don’t want to be sitting at home watching the majors on TV yet.”
He won’t be if he keeps playing like this.
Donald got going quickly with birdies on the second and third holes. He then moved to three-under with a birdie on No. 6.
After his lone bogey on the par-four eighth, Donald posted three more birdies on the back nine to break par for the 23rd time in his past 29 rounds at Harbour Town.
He has had five top-three finishes the last seven tournaments here.
About the only thing he has not done at Harbour Town is win.
A victory this week would put Donald back on the major track.
“I have some good memories and good mojo here,” he remarked.
“It’s nice to continue that with a solid round today.”
Most of the Masters’ main characters took this week off, including new dad and major champion Danny Willett of England and Jordan Speith, whose unexpected collapse over the final nine holes after holding a five-shot lead opened the door for Willett.
Day, who tied for 10th at Augusta National, is the lone top-10 player competing.
