In order to spend time with his pregnant wife Diane, world No. 1 Luke Donald will not compete in the WGC HSBC Champions event next week in China, according to Reuters. Diane Donald is set to give birth to the couple’s second child.
“Making history in the sport is very important to me, but the roles of husband and father are the most important in the world to me and being there for my wife and family is where I have to be,” Donald said in a statement issued by his management company Saturday.
“My goal has been to try to top the money list on the PGA Tour and the European Tour and I still hope to accomplish that. The WGC Champions is a world-class event, and as a player you look forward to competing against the best.”
The commitment deadline for the tournament was Friday.
The PGA Tour money-list winner had said he would consider playing in the Shanghai event, but it would depend upon his wife’s condition. Without his presence, the event still could have significance on Donald’s achievements this season.
The jointly sanctioned event counts as official prize money on the European Tour, whose money list Donald leads by 1.3 million euros over Rory McIlroy. The winner of the event will get approximately 900,000 euros. The win is considered an official victory by the PGA Tour as well, which could impact the Player of the Year vote if Webb Simpson or major winners Keegan Bradley and Charl Schwartzel win.