Luke Donald missed out on qualifying for the next two majors last week, but he took a big step toward solidifying his summer schedule with a 1-under 70 at the Irish Open.
Donald battled difficult conditions during his opener at Royal County Down, carding five birdies against four bogeys to move within a shot of the early clubhouse lead.
Ranked No. 1 in the world less than three years ago - and No. 33 at the start of this year - Donald's tumble through the world rankings has continued this season. He needed to be ranked inside the top 50 after the BMW PGA Championship to secure a berth in the Open Championship field, while a spot in the OWGR top 60 would have netted him a ticket to the U.