While Zach Johnson denied Jim Furyk the silverware to go with Friday's golden 59, Donald ensured that Justin Rose would not be the UK's only representative in the PGA Tour season's grand finale.
Luke Donald may still only have an outside chance of winning golf's biggest jackpot, but as he put it after Monday's brave charge into this week's Tour Championship, "you have to be in to win it".
It truly was a manic Monday in Chicago as the rain-delayed BMW Championship witnessed so much frenetic movement in both the tournament and the FedEx standings.
While Zach Johnson denied Jim Furyk the silverware to go with Friday's golden 59, Donald ensured that Justin Rose would not be the UK's only representative in the PGA Tour season's grand finale.
Conway Farms is Donald's home course and he used his local knowledge to produce a 66 to finish on 11-under and in a tie for fourth. Starting the day in a tie for 11th, Donald, who was down in 54th in the standings, knew he needed a top five to enter the top 30 who qualified for East Lake.
"I was aware I had to go pretty low," he said. "Fortunately I got it going on the back nine." In his final 11 holes, Donald reeled off six birdies. There was a wonderful chip-in on the 13th, but his most admirable red number came on the 17th.
A bogey on the 16th had stalled his run and left him requiring a bounce-back birdie. Donald duly recorded a two on the par-three 17th and regardless of being down in 29th, he has eyes on the main cheque.
Two years ago, Donald lost out on the $10 million by a shot when Bill Haas jumped from 25th to scoop the game's richest prize by winning in Atlanta. Donald is something of a specialist at the East Lake course.
Tiger Woods heads the standings despite yet another disappointing final-round 71 to finish 11th. The world No 1's tournament will be remembered for a two-shot penalty on Friday which he carried on -moaning about when it was clear he had committed an infraction.
Anybody in the FedEx top five is guaranteed to win the outrageous bonus should they win the Tour Championship. Johnson is now one of those after his magnificent 65 gave Furyk his latest slap in the face. The veteran was two-over for his last five holes.
And the last time he was in Chicago, Furyk bogeyed the last two holes against Sergio Garcia to give Europe a vital point in their Ryder Cup victory. Good job he has that 59 as consolation.
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