He took victory in the Par Three Contest at Augusta last year. Now, Luke Donald wants to win the real thing.
Donald says driving could hold the key to major breakthrough
He took victory in the eve-of-Masters Par Three Contest last year. Now, Luke Donald wants to win the real thing.
While becoming world number one and winning the Money Lists on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011 were achievements the Englishman is hugely proud of, Donald knows that there is still a glaring omission from his CV - a first major title.
"Since I first turned pro the goal was always to win majors and that hasn't changed," said the 34-year-old.
"I feel like if I continue to improve the way I've been doing I'm going to have a chance.
"I had some progress last year. I had a chance at Augusta (he finished fourth) and I didn't play nearly my best in the PGA and still was thereabouts (joint eighth with Lee Westwood).
"I'm excited about the majors. I've gained a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to the challenges of Augusta."
Donald has identified the area which could finally help him realise his ambitions.
Improve driving
"I do believe the key to winning for me is to continually improve my driving," he said.
"I think majors become trickier around the greens - they are firmer, smaller greens usually - and Jack Nicklaus told me last year that he thinks he was successful because he drove it very well."
Donald will never be the longest, but he did improve on the PGA Tour last year from 177th to 147th in driving distance and from 120th to 57th in finding the fairway.
While he envies the likes of Alvaro Quiros and Bubba Watson for their power, they are envious of his touch on and around the greens.
In terms of strokes gained on the field in putting in America, Donald has come out top the past three seasons - and was second the year before that.
It used to be a universally-accepted fact that Augusta favoured the big-hitters, but Zach Johnson won in 2007 laying up on every one of the par fives and two years earlier Donald played the last eight holes in six under to finish third.
That was his debut in the tournament and only his ninth major. Now he is preparing for his eighth Masters and 35th major.
There's a famous stat which says no winner of the Par Three Contest has ever gone on to win the Green Jacket four days later.
However, Donald would happily win the Par Three again.
"If I believed in jinxes I wouldn't play in it," said Donald, who covered the nine-hole lay-out in a five-under-par 22 last year.
"I see it more as a challenge. Somebody is going to break that record and hopefully it's me."
After returning to world number one by winning the Transitions Championship on his final start before The Masters, Donald will be more confident that ever that he can win his first major and become England's first Green Jacket winner since Nick Faldo in 1996.
