LUKE Donald missed out on victory on his first appearance in Europe this season but still managed to produce a grandstand finish.

The former Beaconsfield and Hazlemere golfer saw his title aspirations blown away on a blustery Saturday at the BMW Championship at Wentworth but he finished the event with back-to-back birdies to charge into the top 20 in the European Tour's flagship event.

Donald was staying at his parents' High Wycombe home throughout the week, and he was in contention until a third round 74 left him 11 behind going into Sunday's final round showdown.

But a battling last round 67 saw him overtook 19 golfers.

His stylish finish gave him a four under par total and tie for 18th place.

But it could have been a lot better for the 27-year-old, who plays full-time on the US Tour.

Donald was three under coming down the 18th in Thursday's opening round before tangling with the rhododendrons and ending up with a double bogey seven.

And worse was to come in the third round when he marked his card with an eight for the same hole.

He said: "I came here to win and I screwed up on the par fives. Before Sunday I was two-over on the par fives.

"I had a double bogey and a triple bogey on 18. You turn those into a couple of birdies and I'm probably tied for the lead."

Those horror holes gave him an early tee time on Sunday and he made the most of the benign conditions by birdieing three holes in an outward nine of 34.

That got him to level par and birdies followed at the 10th and 11th. He drove into sand at the par four 15th and could only loft the ball back into the fairway. But he pitched to six feet and rattled in the putt.

His magical short game also brought closing birdies at the two par five holes to complete the back nine in 33 strokes.

Donald believes that his superb last day form was down to a big improvement on the greens.

He said: "It's frustrating. I felt my stroke wasn't that good. I wasn't rolling the ball very well.

"But I figured it out before I went out on Sunday and felt like I putted a lot better. These greens are tricky though. They are very subtle."

Donald was making his debut in the event but he has vowed to return next year and have another crack at the West Course.

He said: "I think I'll come back next year knowing this course a little bit better.

"It's a little bit more of a local knowledge course and I haven't played it that much before this week."