World Number One Luke Donald heads into this week’s US Open confident the tough Lakes Course at Olympic Club “suits his eye”.
Donald’s quest for a first Major title begins on Thursday afternoon in the company of defending Champion Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood with the world’s top three players grouped together and the reigning European Number One is relishing the challenge ahead.
Donald reclaimed pole position in the World Rankings with his impressive victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club last month and is undaunted by the sloping fairways and the need to shape his shots in San Francisco this week.
“I feel that most of the tee shots out there fit reasonably well with my eye,” he said. “I feel more comfortable and more in control of the ball if I'm hitting a slight fade.
“The draw, over the last past couple years has been a tougher shot for me to hit consistently and start on the right line. The fade is a little bit easier shot. I think that's probably the same for the majority of the players. So as this course demands a few more of those, I feel like it suits my eye reasonably well.”
Many are touting the opening six holes as the toughest opening stretch in Major Championship history, but the reality is that there are no easy holes out there.
“It's a tough track,” he said of Olympic. “This is a US Open course. US Opens are tough. It challenges every part of your game from the first tee shot to when you walk off 18. It's a grind. Even the easy holes, there's always trouble lurking. And you've just got to play solid golf.
“I think out of all the Major Championships, this is the toughest test in a way. Just because it's set up that way. Some other Majors give you an opportunity, and there's always a few exceptions at the US Open, last year being one of them. But most of the time par is a good score and it's a grind out there. They make it tough on us.”
