Donald lights up Players final round

From 27th at the start of the last round, Donald equalled the record for golf’s richest event with a back-nine 30 containing six birdies.

The 34-year-old set the clubhouse target of nine-under par with his 66 and was up into a tie for third.

A look at the scoreboard also told him he was only two behind – and that was thanks to nervy bogeys by American Kevin Na at the fifth and sixth.

Na was battling a form of the dreaded yips with his swing and struggling on the greens as well, and his dropped shots put him in a tie with compatriot Matt Kuchar.

Donald, who would go back to world number one if he finished solo fourth or better, was part of a group which also included Scot Martin Laird, out in a fine 33 with birdies at the second, seventh and ninth.

“Suddenly the putts clicked and I got on a nice little run,” Donald said. “The wind direction was favourable and the greens are holding.

“I thought I was too far back, but I might have to stick around just in case.

“I don’t think it’s going to be quite enough, but I was going to fly back to Chicago and I’ll put that on hold for a bit.”

Lee Westwood had also had an opportunity to finish the week as number one following Rory McIlroy’s missed cut, but the win he needed never looked likely long before he closed with a 77.

It left Westwood four-over and down in 60th place, while another disappointing tournament for Tiger Woods ended with him scoring 73 for one-under.

This meant the former World No 1 had placed outside the top 30 for the third event in a row – a rare occurrence indeed.

Donald started his burst with a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th, then made putts of seven feet at the 15th and eight feet on the long 16th.

The infamous short 17th held no fears for him as he hit his tee shot to five feet. And his renowned bunker prowess rescued a par at the last after he had gone from the rough into sand over the green.

Laird, joint sixth after 54 holes, chipped dead on the long second, converted a 28-foot putt on the seventh and then got up and down from a bunker at the ninth. Meanwhile, Paul Casey is out of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain, which starts on Thursday, and will be replaced by Swede Robert Karlsson.

Casey suffered a recurrence of shoulder trouble – he dislocated it snowboarding on Christmas Eve – at the Players Championship and withdrew on the 10th hole of the first round.

He hoped at first he would recover in time for the 24-man event at Finca Cortesin near Marbella, but having already missed the first two months of the season he faces another lay-off.

“Unfortunately, despite having had intensive treatment since last Thursday, I have been advised not to play in the Volvo World Match Play Championship,” he said in a statement. “I am absolutely gutted as it is one of my favourite events and I was really looking forward to a week of match play to kick-start my season.

“I am very sorry to miss out, especially as Volvo were kind enough to give me an invite.”

Casey will have more treatment before making a decision on next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. He won that three years ago.

Karlsson said: “I am absolutely thrilled to receive this invitation.

“I have only qualified once before, so this is a great opportunity for me, especially in a Ryder Cup year, and I am really excited about the week ahead.”

Casey’s exit leaves the former world number three, now outside the top 50, with a mountain to climb to make it back into the Ryder Cup team.

He was ranked ninth in the world two years ago when then European captain Colin Montgomerie chose not to give him a wild card, preferring Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari instead.

After his withdrawal, he said: “My shoulder felt tired and tender when I made my way to the first tee. I decided to give it a go as I thought I could play through it, but during the round it flared up, which is when I decided to withdraw.

“I am very disappointed. My game has been coming around and I felt confident, but my body told me otherwise.”