Former world No. 1 Luke Donald almost walked away from professional golf last May.
The Englishman, who had last been atop the Official World Golf Ranking in August 2012, had grown so frustrated with his lack of form that he strongly considered giving up the game. He had fallen ouf of the world top 50, the water mark for being in golf’s elite, and was still reeling from not getting the call to represent Europe at the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Perhaps it all stemmed from a poor decision to hire Chuck Cook as his coach, walking away from a successful relationship with Pat Goss, his Northwestern University coach and swing instructor. No matter what got him to where he was, Donald was doubting if it was all worth the toil.
“My confidence had taken a big knock, and I asked myself if I wanted to continue doing this,” Donald said to The Telegraph in the U.K.
“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 realize how lucky I was. I was still playing golf for a living.”
Donald decided to find a way forward instead of a place to hide. He began working with sports psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais, trying to figure out if a mental block was holding him back.
“He just reminded me that it’s up to me what mood or mindset I’m in,” Donald said. “When you’re in a slump it’s easy to forget you’re still the one who is in control.”
Donald, now 78th in the world, is hoping he’ll take control of his emotions and his form in 2016. After posting just one top-five finish a year ago, coming at the British Masters, Donald will have to quickly amass world ranking points to get inside the top 50 or win on the PGA Tour to qualify for the Masters for the 12th year in a row.
That quest starts this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“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,” he said.
“I think I have a little bit of a way to go, but I’m feeling confident that I can get back to at least close to the level I was a few years ago.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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