Donald made to wait for No 1 spot after Poulter excels

Donald was trying for an unprecedented matchplay double after taking the Accenture title in Arizona in February, but his fellow Englishman triumphed 2&1 at Finca Cortesin.

So Donald stays second behind Lee Westwood and Poulter celebrated his son Luke’s seventh birthday in exactly the way he hoped – although not the moment when he fell down a bank trying to thrash his way out of a bush.

“Happy birthday, Luke,” he said. “I thought it would be pretty special to win this. I finally started holing some putts. I’ve been frustrated for a few months and you have to hole putts to win.”

Donald added: “It was disappointing – I ran out of steam a bit and didn’t take my opportunities.”

In the first all-English final since the event began at Wentworth in 1964, Poulter, last year’s Tucson champion, was behind three times before levelling again with a 40-footer on the short 12th and then going ahead two holes later.

Helped by Donald three-putting the next, missing a three-footer that would have taken the hole, Poulter went two-up with an approach to two feet on the 464-yard 16th and a half on the next was good enough – although he had to make a seven-footer for it.

It earned him nearly £704,000, while Donald’s compensation was a cheque for almost £370,000.

Now, though, he must try again to take the No 1 spot off Westwood at Wentworth this coming week.

It was not only Donald who began the day with a chance to be No 1. So did Martin Kaymer, but in a repeat of the final in Tucson he came off a clear second best again in their semi-final.

In fact, he did not even take him as far. Their first clash ended 3&2 and this time Donald cruised through 5&3

The other semi-final was heading the way of Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts until he reached the same hole, but three-putting there and driving into the bushes on the 16th allowed Poulter to draw level.

The Brussels golfer, still only 108th in the world even after winning his first European Tour title in China last month, holed from 10 feet for a two on the next, but Poulter followed him in from nine.

Then at the last, with Colsaerts on in two, Poulter pitched to five feet, halved in birdie fours and went through when his opponent fluffed a chip at the first extra hole and took a bogey six.

“I just kind of hung in there and you just need a bit of momentum,” said Poulter, who went to the final green in every one of his five matches en route to the final – including, of course, against Westwood at the last eight stage on Saturday.

“I think experience was crucial. Nicolas had the upper hand with length (he was the Tour’s biggest hitter last season) and I just had to trust my short game.”