Maui is a great place to visit anytime, but this is especially where Luke Donald wants to be every year at the beginning of January.
If the former Northwestern star is playing in the Mercedes Championship, it means he won a PGA Tour tournament the previous year. A victory in the 2006 Honda Classic punched his ticket to Hawaii.
Donald would love to guarantee himself a spot in next year’s Mercedes by winning this year’s event. However, at 5 under par, he will have some heavy lifting to do Sunday. He trails leader Vijay Singh by six shots through the third round at the Plantation Course.
It is becoming more about winning for Donald as he continues his climb up the world rankings. The 29-year-old currently resides in golf’s most elite neighborhood, sitting at ninth.
Donald wants to take it to the next level. That means collecting more first-place trophies. The Honda was his second PGA Tour victory; he also has two on the European Tour.
“Winning obviously is at the top of the list,” Donald said. “I’m approaching every tournament looking to win. I want to get better. I want to get up to the level of [Tiger Woods].”
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esherman@tribune.com
