By Tony Jimenez
LONDON (Reuters) - The wrist injury that kept Luke Donald out for the second half of the 2008 season may have been a blessing in disguise, the Briton said on Tuesday.
Donald had surgery on his left wrist after last year's U.S. Open, causing him to miss the final two majors of the season and the Ryder Cup.
"I'm as good a player as I was before my injury," Donald told reporters as he prepared for Thursday's PGA Championship first round at Wentworth.
"I don't feel the injury has diminished my play. Actually I think it was a help."
The 31-year-old Englishman said his swing and his on-course attitude had improved since his enforced layoff.
"The injury has given me an appreciation for the game," said Donald, who has won twice in Europe and in the U.S.
"It made me feel I wasn't infallible. Made me feel I could take a step back, look at what I needed to do to become better.
"I think I am slowly getting there. The swing is a lot better and so is my attitude on the course."
Donald though is without a victory since the 2006 Honda Classic in Florida and said he would love to end his drought at the PGA Championship, the European Tour's flagship event.
"There is no reason why I cannot win this week," he said. "I am looking forward to winning again although it becomes harder and harder the longer you go," said Donald, a member of the triumphant European Ryder Cup teams of 2004 and 2006.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)