After beginning the day four shots back, Donald appeared to shoot himself out of contention with a double bogey on the par-5 second hole. But four birdies in a six-hole stretch from Nos. 9-14 gave the Englishman a share of the lead amid a tightly-packed leaderboard.
Unfortunately for Donald, he could only muster pars over his closing four holes and at 12 under he again finished just outside the winner's circle on Hilton Head Island. This time, his closing 68 left him alone in second and one shot behind Wesley Bryan.
"Obvioiusly the worst possible start. A double on 2, which is kind of a birdie hole," Donald told reporters.