Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/85092
TOM DREESEN: As a native Chicagoan, the first thing I'm curious about what drew you to Chicago? LUKE DONALD: is I was recruited at Stanford by Wally Goodwin, when Tiger [Woods] was still there. I knew very little about American colleges, but I had heard of Stanford, and I thought that was my best option. Unfortunately, I didn't get into the school. Coach Goodwin felt bad for me, so he sent me over to Northwestern University because he thought I would be a good fit for them. I went over for my visit and really liked it. I met my coach now, Pat Goss, and struck a good bond straight away. TD: What is it about city that you love? LD: My official visit the to Northwestern was my first ever trip to the US, and immediately I felt very at home in Chicago. I made a lot of friends very easily, and at the end of my college career I met my wife, Diane, who was born and raised in Glenview. I've traveled all around America, and I'm always drawn back to Chicago as the place that I enjoy the most. I think coming from London to another big city—a northern city where the cultural differences weren't too much—it was an easy swap for me. Everything about Chicago I've enjoyed... the restaurants, Luke Donald lines up a putt during the PGA Championship in August 2012. "Having kids and seeing them grow has been an inspiration to me, and as a golfer, too." the culture, the sports, going to Wrigley, the Art Institute, the MCA. It's very much a city with a lot of culture and with friendly people as well. TD: Who have some of your mentors been? LD: Growing up, my parents. They were very supportive, but they weren't pushy; they let me find my own way. My coach, Pat Goss, has become a mentor. It's a unique relationship. Not very often does a player go through college and then bring his coach with him into the pro ranks and stay with him for 15 years. TD: Whom among your peers do you most admire? LD: Well, you have to admire Tiger for his record and his ability to be at the top of the game for so long. Obviously he had a little bit of a slump, but for the majority of his career and certainly in my lifetime, he has been the best player to play the game. Growing up some of my idols were Seve [Ballesteros] and [Nick] Faldo; they were in their prime in the mid-1980s, when I started playing golf. Two very different styles, but I gained a lot of inspiration from Seve in his short game skills and Faldo from his work ethic. TD: Are there any books that have inspired you? 98 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM LD: Right now I'm reading Life, on the Line by Alinea chef Grant Achatz. It has some rele- vance to golf in terms of always trying to find a way to improve and finding ways to make things interesting. I don't know if you know much about Grant Achatz, but he had tongue can- cer—pretty tough stuff if tasting food is your main job. But he redefined himself, got through that battle, and became one of the best chefs in the world. It's inspiring. TD: What has been the big- gest change in your life since you became one really. of the world's most famous golfers? LD: There hasn't been a huge shift, I can still pretty much go about my business without being too recognized. The biggest change in the last couple years is that I've become a father. That changed me quite a lot, and it so happened that at the same time my golf got a little bit better. It gave me perspective on life, gave me a chance to really feel and know what's important in life. You know those bad days on the golf course were a lot easier to manage knowing that I would come home to a smiling baby. TD: How do you balance the rigors of being a pro golfer and a father? LD: I'm lucky—50 to 75 percent of the time my family is traveling with me because they're not school age yet. Having kids and seeing them grow has been an inspiration to me, and as a golfer, too. I've enjoyed knowing that golf isn't everything—certainly it's important to do your best, but at the end of the day, if you played a bad round, you come home, your little daughter runs into your arms, and it seems to vanish a lot quicker. TD: What do you do to relax? For me, golf is my thing to get away from all the shows I do, but golf is your life. What takes the stress off? LD: Hanging out and playing with my kids is one thing. And I have some friends from high school, and I make sure that once or twice a year I spend a few days with them. You get your mind off the golf ball or whatever it might be, and you can reminisce about some of the good old times. TD: What are some of your favorite places in the city? LD: I spend a lot of time shopping downtown on Michigan Avenue in the Ralph Lauren store. In terms of restaurants, I am a big fan of Grant Achatz; I love Next, how it changes every three months. I love Sunda New Asian— they have a great atmosphere, great bar, great food; I am a big fan of Asian fusion. And Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse is always a favorite. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES