Luke Donald considered quitting golf

Former world number one Luke Donald has revealed he contemplated quitting golf last year after dropping out of the top 50 in the world rankings.

The 38-year-old was the top-ranked player on the planet four years ago, but has since experienced a fall from grace which left him considering his future last May.

Donald has not won a tournament on a major golf tour since 2012 and missed out on the 2014 Ryder Cup despite having celebrated victory in all four appearances in the famous competition against the United States.

And the Englishman, whose six-year partnership with caddie John McLaren also came to an end, said such a loss of form prompted him to mull over whether he should walk away from the sport.

"My confidence had taken a big knock and I asked myself if I wanted to continue doing this," Donald told Telegraph Sport.

"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 realise how lucky I was. I was still playing golf for a living."

Donald has used sports psychologist Dr Michael Gervais to help get his career back on track and is now optimistic that he can show what he is capable of in 2016.

He added: "There was a time where I kept looking at the world rankings and kept seeing myself slipping and I think that's the wrong approach.

"I've always been most successful when I have a plan and stick to it. Every day try to get a little better, incremental improvement.

"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.

"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. I felt like it was very close the last few months.

"It just didn't quite click. I haven't had that one breakout win to kind of get the confidence going enough. But certainly I feel optimistic about my chances going forward."