Donald all smiles as hard work pays off

Golfer Luke and caddie Christian were carrying their bags but it was clear that a load had been lifted. 'I feel that was vindication of all that I've been working on,' Luke said following his first top three finish in America since April.

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Back in the swing: Luke Donald tees off at the fourth in his final round

It has been a troubling nine-month spell for Donald. Momentous events off the course coincided with a technical failure on it. He got married last June and turned 30 last December.

Now his eye is back on the ball and countless hours of graft have corrected a tendency to be 'shut' at the top of his backswing.

With Americans Phil Mickelson and Jeff Quinney conducting their own personal duel for the title on Sunday, which the former won, Donald was involved in a manic race for third with a dozen other players.

He needed to birdie the hardest hole, the 18th, to catch Irishman Padraig Harrington and did so with a curling 25ft putt to raucous cries of 'Luke! Luke!' from the huge gallery.

Donald, who moved up three places to 16th in the world, said: 'It was important in terms of world ranking points and to get going in the Ryder Cup qualification race.'

Donald now turns his gaze towards this week's Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona and an intriguing first-round match on Wednesday against fellow Englishman Nick Dougherty.

These two were partners once in the Walker Cup. Donald compiled a won seven, lost one, record in that amateur competition against the United States. 'Guess who I was playing with when I lost?' he joked.

Harrington is back in the world top 10 after playing the final nine holes in 32 shots. He plays American Jerry Kelly on Wednesday while Paul Casey, who also left Riviera content after his third sub-par round in a row, faces Swede Robert Karlsson.