Golf: Donald bids to bounce back from late collapse at Wentworth

LOSING an event he was favourite to win with only two holes to play has left Luke Donald with lots to prove again at this week's Madrid Masters.

Two closing par fives would have given Donald his first victory for four years at Wentworth on Sunday, but instead he ran up a double bogey seven on the 17th and a last-green birdie could not stop Simon Khan grabbing the 637,000 first prize. Earning over 330,000 for joint second place, moving up from 18th to 13th in the world and climbing from seventh to fifth in the Ryder Cup world points list was all very nice. But as Donald said with a round to go in the European Tour's flagship event: "It's all about winning."

Now the 32-year-old, who took great offence last year when an American writer coined the phrase "Luke Donald Disease" to sum up British golfers not lifting as many titles as they should, tries again at the Real Sociedad course just north of the Spanish capital.

Last week had five of the world's top ten playing – Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Ernie Els, Paul Casey and Rory McIlroy – but they are now either resting or have flown to the United States to begin their preparations for next month's US Open.

In the field, though, is Sergio Garcia, the only European in the world's top 80 who did not participate at Wentworth. The 30-year-old has not played in the event since 2000, citing tax issues with the British government.

Donald and Garcia have a perfect record together in the Ryder Cup – four foursomes wins out of four – and should they be part of the team again at Celtic Manor in October it would be no surprise to see them in partnership again. But as things stand both need a wild card and Garcia's form is a particular worry. He has not had a top-three finish since he went to world number two with victory in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai nearly 19 months ago.

Now he is only 32nd in the world, but three of his eight European Tour victories have come on Spanish soil.

That said, in terms of the Ryder Cup, a win on Sunday would earn him only a third of Khan's cheque and still leave him outside an automatic qualifying spot, whereas he could have gone fifth at Wentworth.