Memo to the rest of the golf world: If you think you're going to get the No 1 ranking back from Luke Donald anytime soon, you may need to think again.

Having spent the past four days almost literally walking in the footsteps of the World No 1 here in Orlando, I can exclusively reveal that Donald is really only just starting to realise what he can accomplish in the sport.

Animated: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, not necessarily Donald

The 33-year-old from Hemel Hempstead is not the most demonstrative player on the tour (to put it mildly - the local media gasped at his celebratory fist-pump after the final one of his six successive birdies on the back nine on Sunday afternoon); he is not the flashiest player (even US journeyman Scott Gutschewski out-drove him at times on the final round); and he is not the biggest draw in the golf world (he really only drew a crowd for the second half of his final round, and you fancy Tiger Woods would barely have noticed).

But Mr Consistency also revealed that he IS a few things that many might not have associated with the slightly-built, phlegmatic player who is now firmly on course to be the first player to top the money list on both the US and European tours.

1) He has a quiet but fierce desire to make his mark in golf history, hence his quest at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in the first place.

2) He has the ability to raise his game when the occasion demands it and find a gear that only a handful of players possess.

3) And he is unquestionably, unarguably, indisputably worthy of the world's top ranking, despite the sceptics who claim that his lack of a Major title to date somehow makes his lofty position hollow or unrealistic.

No it isn't.

Commanding

He already had a commanding lead over No 2 Lee Westwood - and double the ranking points of Phil Mickelson in the No 10 spot - and that will only increase once the computer works out all the ramifications of the final US tour event of the season.

And, if he doesn't now earn the Player of the Year honour on this side of the Atlantic, it will be the biggest voting scandal since a certain George W Bush won the state of Florida in 2000 (amid some of the dodgiest vote-counting ever witnessed this side of Zimbabwe).

More importantly - and this is something the media here have been quick to acknowledge - we could well see a very different Donald in future, a more commanding and assured one.

Over four roller-coaster rounds on Disney's wonderfully scenic Palm and Magnolia courses, the world No 1 demonstrated he is ready to step things up to the next level - the Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and, yes, even the Tiger Woods level of being able to dominate the opposition by sheer force of will.

Although you'd hardly know from a stray glance - Donald still looks as if he'd be more at home wandering Disney's theme parks with his family rather than striding down the 18th hole like the all-conquering star he has become - this is a sportsman made of the Right Stuff.

Labouring

For round one it was largely effortless, a casual stroll in the Florida sun in the company of his friend (and money-list rival) Webb Simpson, and two rather over-awed amateurs. The end result 66 was as smooth and natural as you could imagine.

Day two saw a rather different Donald, a more labouring one. Gone was the languid grace of the first day, replaced by a slower and distinctly energy-challenged version. The answer came afterwards with the news he had picked up a sinus infection and had barely slept overnight. Hardly conducive to a day in the parks, let alone 18 holes in 75°F.

His 71 left him five off the lead and, if not quite Mission: Impossible, it was starting to look at least Mission Rather Implausible. Saturday's 70 was another see-saw round, as his charge at the overnight leaders first gathered real momentum with four birdies in the opening 12 holes but was then followed by a real wheel-wobbling double-bogey seven and another bogey in the space of three holes.

For many players on Donald's globe-trotting schedule of jet-lag-inducing stress, that might have been enough. The 18th hole on Magnolia had been one of the toughest all week and no-one would have batted an eyelid if he had folded his tents and quietly called it a tournament, ready to see out in the final round in relative anonymity.

Except that he took on the monster 492-yard par four and came away with a vital birdie to salvage a contending position on the Sunday, albeit a daunting five shots back at nine under par. His assertion that he might need to shoot a 62 to walk away with the honours was not unrealistic.

Alight

But the fact he still had the win firmly in his sights should have been an indication to expect some final-day fireworks, and, while they were several damp squibs on the opening nine holes - a pair of birdies followed almost immediately by a bogey on two occasions - the blue touchpaper was most assuredly alight.

Pop - great irons in to 10 and 11 opened the door to short birdie putts.

Blam - an exquisite tee shot on the par-three 12th provided another gimme.

Pow - more iron wizardry at the 13th set up a six-footer that was drained with enormous confidence.

Boom - an immaculate drive (a notable feature of Donald's back-nine magic), five-iron and lob wedge and then he was holing a 20ft putt with the same aplomb as the earlier short ones.

Ka-boom - the big finale: a five-iron on the par-three 15th, leaving a daunting 45-footer. Except that this was the new, stop-at-nothing Donald, and the putt raced straight into the hole without the merest hint of deviation. Game, set and pyrotechnic masterpiece.

The spectators duly went nuts, the assembled media dutifully gasped and hastened to the post-round press conference. The immediate consensus was that was a Statement Victory, a signature win, the kind "that only Tiger used to be able to do." High praise indeed from the US press.

And the new-look Donald emerged to state that he was, actually, rather pleased with his week's work. Just a bit. Oh, and by the way, he thinks he may just be a tiny bit better and more focused in 2012.

Actually, he said that: "I'm very, very excited about next year and even this off season about trying to improve. You know, there are certain parts of my game that definitely need some improvement. Hopefully that will lead to even more wins and more tournament victories."

Hopefully? If THIS version of the world No 1 - let's call him Donal No 2 after the original version of the promising US-based youngster and then the upgraded one who claimed the top ranking from Lee Westwood back in May - really does take off, we may be looking at more than mere fireworks in future.

It really will be a case of feeling The Force of Luke, and even Darth Vader won't be able to stop him.

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