Donald, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Geoff Ogilvy all had back-nine chances to win, but finally Charl Schwartzel of South Africa emerged triumphant from the chaos to claim the green jacket.
Edinburgh's Geoff Cross, Roddy Grant, Ben Cairns, Scott MacLeod and Greig Laidlaw will also have been particularly disappointed to have missed out on Andy Robinson's main squad along with Glasgow's Rob Dewey.