SWINDON player David Howell got his Qatar Masters campaign off to a good start with a three-under-par opening round this morning.

The Broome Manor player sits in a tie for 22nd, four shots off the lead currently held by Portugal’s Ricardo Santos.

The 37-year-old started with a birdie on the first before carding par on the remaining eight holes of the front nine, and after picking up a shot on the 10th he responded to a bogey on 13 with birdies at 15 and 16.