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Luke takes heart from Riviera

Englishman buoyed by return to form at Northern Trust Open

Last updated: 9th February 2010

Donald in action at Pebble Beach

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Luke Donald claims he has taken real confidence from his runner-up finish at the Northern Trust Open and will look to build on that display when he competes at Pebble Beach this week.

The 32-year-old Englishman fired a final round of 66 at Riviera Country Club to finish two shots behind eventual champion Steve Stricker, but in coming home second secured his third top-10 finish in as many years at the Los Angeles event.

While Donald was disappointed not to have gone one better and chalked up a first PGA Tour victory since the 2006 Honda Classic, he acknowledged he was happy to be making progress after a frustrating and injury-plagued couple of seasons.

"Obviously no one likes to finish second, but it's a confidence boost," Donald said ahead of this week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"It means that I'm going in the right direction, and I feel good about my game going into next week.

"What am I looking forward to? Well, by the sounds of it, not the weather. It doesn't look too great. But Pebble is obviously a special place, and looking forward to seeing this new course in the rotation, too.

"Hopefully the rounds are a little bit quicker with the shorter fields. But Pebble is always a beautiful place to play golf."

Return to Pebble Beach

The famed Pebble Beach Golf Links on northern California's peninsula is one of three courses in play this week and will also host this year's US Open for the first time since Tiger Woods romped to victory there by an incredible 15 strokes in 2000.

"It would be nice to see the course a few months before the US Open," Donald added. "I don't think it'll play very similar.

"From what I've heard it's been raining for the last two weeks up there, so it's going to be wet and not running very much.

"I haven't been there for a couple years. It will be nice to just go get a feel for it again."

Ryder Cup ambitions

Donald, who featured in the 2004 and 2006 victories for Europe, acknowledged he is still very much focused on securing a place on Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team for October's match with America at Celtic Manor.

However, the Chicago-based player will have to make the team via the world points list as he said he intends to spend the majority of his season playing Stateside.

"I'm always going to play a few more events here," he continued. "This is where I've made my home. It's where I feel comfortable playing.

"I've got to play five is my minimum over there (in addition to the four majors and three World Golf Championship events). If I play eight, I don't know how much better chance it gives me on that (European) money list.

"For me, if I play solid, that way I can get on through the world rankings. Right now I'm planning on playing 12, maybe 13 events in Europe total (including the majors and WGCs)."