Donald eager to make up for lost time after wrist injury

Donald eager to make up for lost time after wrist injury

THOUSAND OAKS, California - Britain's Luke Donald, frustrated after missing the last two majors of the year because of a wrist injury, is delighted to be back in action at this week's Chevron World Challenge.


Luke Donald of Britain watches his shot on the seventh green during the Sun City Challenge golf tournament in Sun City December 5, 2008. [Agencies]

The 31-year-old Englishman returned to competitive golf two weeks ago at the Sun City Challenge in South Africa and is eager to make up for lost time after a five-month layoff.

"My wrist is fully healed," Donald told reporters at a cold and wet Sherwood Country Club on Wednesday.

"I played at the Nedbank (Sun City Challenge) and had no trouble with it at all. I'm glad to be back playing again in competitions. There are no issues with the wrist. It seems to be 100 percent better."

Donald's 2008 campaign came to a shuddering halt when he withdrew from the final round of the US Open at Torrey Pines in June because of an injured left wrist.

He had had surgery in August and was bitterly disappointed to miss out on the British Open, the US PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.

"All three were hard," Donald said. "Any time you miss majors it's difficult and to be injured during a Ryder Cup year was disappointing too. I would have loved to have tried to help Europe retain the Cup.

"I watched pretty much every shot. I think it's one of the few golf tournaments that I actually watch on TV, or I have watched in the past, when I wasn't playing.

"The Ryder Cup only comes around every two years and to have the injury during that year was a little more disappointing than it could have been.

"But hats off to the Americans; they played great," he added, referring to the first US victory in the biennial team competition for nine years. "They deserved to win."

Donald, a double winner on the PGA Tour, spent much of his time away from the game contemplating what he needed to do to become a better player.