Luke Donald feels his runner-up finish at the Verizon Heritage last night can set him up nicely for the rest of the year. Donald overcame indifferent opening rounds of 73 and 70 at the par-71 Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina to shoot 65 and 66 over the weekend.

That gave the Englishman a share of second place with American Briny Baird on 10-under-par, 10 strokes behind runaway winner Brian Gay.

Nevertheless, Donald said he was confident his game was in good shape at last following season-ending wrist surgery last summer.

“I felt like my game was in a good position, even after the first few days,” Donald said. “I felt like something good was going to happen. And lo and behold I made 15 birdies.

“I’m swinging it better, and seeing the ball go in the hole, which is a nice feeling.”

Donald will next be in action in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida in three weeks and he will take a break in good spirits following his eight-birdie, three-bogey, final round 66, despite leaving it too late to trouble Gay.

“I wish I could keep playing, you know, I was just getting going, and 15 birdies the last 36 holes,” he said. “I ran out of holes, unfortunately, and Brian Gay kept making birdies. He’s obviously played great.

“That’s the way it goes. Obviously I didn’t score well enough the first couple of rounds. I actually played decent, I just didn’t get much of a score going. And I still a good week.”

Donald’s compatriot Paul Casey also finished on a high with a 66, his best round of the week, to claim a tie for 11th at six under, three shots behind Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, who tied for sixth.

Greg Owen of England finished at one under par alongside Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden with Ernie Els of South Africa ending the week at level par.

Rory McIlroy finished at two over par for the tournament after closing with a level-par 71.