Luke Donald To Return After Six Month Injury Absence

The former World Number One has committed to the Dunhill Links and British Masters in October

Luke Donald To Return After Six Month Injury Absence
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The former World Number One has committed to the Dunhill Links and British Masters in October

Luke Donald To Return After Six Month Injury Absence

Former World Number One Luke Donald is to return to professional golf after six months on the sidelines with injury.

Donald, who suffered a back injury and hasn't played since the RBC Heritage in April, will tee it up at the Dunhill Links Championship and then the British Masters the following week in early October.

The 40-year-old wrote on Twitter, "Excited to announce that I have committed to the @dunhilllinks & @british_masters in the coming weeks.

"Have been working hard on my health, fitness and game the last couple of months, time to see how it responds with back to back weeks! Can’t wait & thx for the continued support!"

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The Englishman is one of Thomas Bjorn's five Ryder Cup Vice Captains for the 2018 match at Le Golf National where Europe look to regain the trophy from the USA.

In April he announced he was taking some time off for back treatment, tweeting "Unfortunately after trying to play with some back pain the last few months, my team & I have decided it’s best for me to receive the recommended treatment & take the necessary time to recover.

"Gutted about this but I’m fully committed to getting back out onto the course ASAP :("

Donald's last appearance came at the RBC Heritage in the week after The Masters, and he will have been on the sidelines for almost six months by the time the Dunhill Links gets underway on 4th October.

Donald's last European Tour win came at the 2012 BMW PGA Championship. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

In his time off he has done some commentary work with Sky and will have most likely spent a lot of time practising his short game.

We saw him at Bearwood Lakes in May and he could only hit pitch shots.

Watch: Luke Donald vlog -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3C36xt7pYs

Donald's last finish of note came at the 2017 Dunhill Links where he was T7th. He was also 2nd at last year's RBC Heritage.

The Englishman will obviously be excited to get back out there and his Vice Captaincy at the Ryder Cup will surely get the juices flowing once again.

 

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV