Luke Donald hopes he has answered all the questions about his ability under pressure - even if he has still to win a first major.

First this year he lifted the World Match Play title in Arizona, never trailing in any of his six games.

Then he took the world number one spot off Lee Westwood with a play-off victory over him at Wentworth.

He then cruised to a four-shot victory at the Scottish Open with a closing 63, the lowest round of his European Tour career.

Now he has become the first European to top the PGA Tour money list in America by playing the final nine holes of the final event at the Disney World resort in Florida in a dazzling six-under-par 30.

"It's hard to put into words," Donald said after receiving the tournament trophy from Donald Duck - no relation - and Mickey Mouse.

"The goal was to win. Nothing was really going to be good enough other than that (he trailed Webb Simpson by nearly £230,000).

"I think this is probably one of the most satisfying wins of my career just because of that. It was kind of do-or-die.

"Disney is a special place. I suppose if I ever have to bring the children back here at least it'll have some good memories for me - even if I'm having to wait in all those lines!"

But the best year of Donald's life is not over yet.

After taking time out to wait for the birth of his second daughter due next week - wife Diane reckons the baby might have to be called Minnie given the venue for Donald's amazing win - he has events in South Africa, Dubai and Australia.

The middle of those on December 8-11 could see him crowned the European Tour's new number one as well, but with a lead of more than £1m over Rory McIlroy there might be no need for the heroics he produced this weekend.

Nobody has ever topped the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season, so more history awaits, although Tiger Woods might care to point out he actually did it six times, but never played enough European events to be included on the table.

Many thought Donald had left himself too much to do when he started the final round of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in 14th place five shots of the lead.

He still had it all to do at the start of the back nine, especially as Simpson - his playing partner all four days - had moved into a share of the lead himself.

But then came a stunning six successive birdies, the last of them a stunning 45-foot putt, and three closing pars for a 64 gave him a two-stroke win over Justin Leonard, with Simpson joint sixth when only the runner-up spot would have kept him top of the money list.

"It means a lot to do it when I needed to, to know that under pressure I was able to pull off the shots, to hole the putts and obviously to get ahead of Webb and win this event." It was his first stroke play success in the States for over five years.

All that is left really is that elusive first major.

The nearest the 33-year-old has come so far was third on his Masters debut in 2005, third again at the 2006 USPGA and fourth at Augusta this April.

"I'm very, very excited about my golf. Obviously the only disappointing part of the year, I suppose, is not winning a major, but I'll keep persevering and giving myself opportunities."

Although he is not taking it as a given, especially after McIlroy lost out to Rickie Fowler in the Rookie of the Year award last year, Donald's victory makes him favourite to win the coveted Player of the Year vote in America.

Winning the equivalent in Europe is not as clear-cut, however - not after a season in which McIlroy took the US Open by eight shots with a record score, Darren Clarke won The Open 20 years after he first played in it and Charl Schwartzel landed The Masters to complete the first-ever clean sweep of the majors by European Tour members.