Euro Tour chief salutes 'staggering' Donald win

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady has hailed Luke Donald's maiden World Golf Championship (WGC) victory as a staggering achievement.

The Briton rocketed from ninth to third in the world rankings after capping a brilliant week by beating Ryder Cup team mate Martin Kaymer 3 & 2 in Sunday's Accenture Match Play final at Dove Mountain in Arizona.

"He (Donald) didn't play the 18th hole all week and his standard of play was staggering," O'Grady told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

The 33-year-old Englishman started out by crushing Charley Hoffman 6 & 5 before beating Edoardo Molinari 2 & 1. He then polished off Matteo Manassero 3 & 2 and Ryan Moore 5 & 4 before scoring another 6 & 5 win over Matt Kuchar in the semi-finals.

O'Grady said the runs to the final of Donald and new world number one Martin Kaymer of Germany would give another big boost to the European Tour after a spectacular season in 2010.

In 2010, Kaymer won the U.S. PGA Championship and Graeme McDowell the US Open, Lee Westwood rose to world number one and Europe beat the United States in the Ryder Cup.

"It was a tremendous achievement to get two of our players in the final last week," said O'Grady. "It will give great confidence and self-belief to the tour.

"We have actually got six in the top eight including Paul Casey at seven and Rory McIlroy at eight. That's a tremendous achievement for the tour -- there are no two ways about it."

O'Grady paid special tribute to the dedication of the leading European contingent.

"The workrate of all these players and the fitness levels are tremendous," he explained. "Luke had not won in America for a few years (since the 2006 Honda Classic) but he's good enough now to win any week he plays.

"He has certainly worked hard. The work ethic of the lot of them is phenomenal and I think they're all reaping their just rewards.

"But nobody will be slacking off. There is healthy competition at the top and I look forward to catching up with them all when I go to the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami next week."

In the meantime, the continuing success of Europe's leading golfers will do no harm to O'Grady and his team in the never-ending quest for new sponsors and financial backers.

"I think sponsors see we are unearthing new talent like the McIlroys, the Manasseros, some young Spanish players, some young British players," said the tour supremo.

"The national federations are also strong and there are initiatives in all of our developing countries. They are seeing what these guys have achieved and are saying, 'We can do it too'."