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• Luke Donald thought about giving up golf last year
• The former world No.1 hasn’t won since May 2012
• Now back on track with the help of a sports psychologist

LUKE DONALD

Luke Donald has admitted that he thought about quitting golf during last season as he tumbled out of the world’s top 50 for the first time in a decade.

The Englishman, who is one of only 19 players to have reached world No.1 and spent a total of 56 weeks at the summit in 2011 and 2012, suffered a crisis of confidence as he is without a win since the 2012 BMW PGA Championship and admitted it was only with the help of a sports psychologist that he managed to find a way out of his slump.

“I asked myself if I wanted to continue doing this” – Luke Donald

“My confidence had taken a big knock and I asked myself if I wanted to continue doing this,” Luke Donald told The Telegraph. “I wasn’t enjoying it, finding it so very hard and could not see much light at the end of the tunnel.

“But then I told myself not to be a baby, to grow up and realise how lucky I was. I was still playing golf for a living.”

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Following the 2013 US Open, where he finished T8, Donald missed four consecutive cuts at majors, and failed to finish higher than T40 (2013 US PGA Championship) until rediscovering some form later this summer which resulted in a T12 finish at the Open, a week after he put together four rounds in the 60s to finish T7 at the Scottish Open.

And that upturn in form he puts down to meeting sports psychologist Michael Gervais, who helped him refocus.

“Every day try to get a little better, incremental improvement” – Luke Donald

“He just reminded me that it’s up to me what mood or mindset I’m in,” said Donald. “When you’re in a slump it’s easy to forget you’re still the one who is in control.”

“There was a time where I kept looking at the world rankings and kept seeing myself slipping. I think that’s the wrong approach. I’ve always been most successful when I have a plan and stick to it. Every day try to get a little better, incremental improvement. Of course, the goal is to get back in the top 50, then get back in the top 25, start getting some top 10s again, start winning tournaments again and just get back into that feeling.”

Luke Donald :: What does 2016 hold?

Can Luke Donald get back on track in 2016? And do you believe he can qualify for the 2016 Ryder Cup team? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.

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