DAVID Howell knows he is going to need a big second day at the BMW PGA Championship if he is going to make the cut for the weekend.

The Swindon golfer hit a disappointing four-over-par round of 76, 11 shots behind leader Francesco Molinari, to finish the day well down the field despite feeling like he was playing some good golf.

The 39-year-old was almost faultless off the tee but his approach play let him down as he slowly dropped shots as the round went on.

Howell now knows he needs to shoot under par to be at Wentworth over the weekend and avoid missing the cut for a fourth consecutive year.

“Four over is not a good score, clearly, but I don’t feel like I played that badly,” said Howell after his round.

“It is just tough out there and if you don’t pick up your shots where you should, I haven’t birdied 12, I just bogeyed 18 and I didn’t birdie 17 so there is the best part of three shots there.

“I haven’t done too much wrong. I ended up in three divots which just goes to show things just weren’t quite running for me.

“I hit some quality shots but it certainly wasn’t my day.

“I am going to have to play well to make the cut now, but I am playing well.

“The job is to go around tomorrow under par and that will do the job I think.

“It is easier in the morning as long as the weather isn’t doing anything silly, so that is well in my capabilities.”

Howell, who has finished second in his last two tournaments, got underway just after lunch under blue skies in Surrey.

After missing the bunker with his tee shot on the first he could only come away with a bogey, but quickly recovered on the second as a superb tee shot set him up for a birdie on the par three hole.

It was another dropped shot for the Swindon golfer on three after his second shot went through the green leaving him with a tough up and down.

However, Howell bounced back again with a 10 foot putt on the fourth to secure a birdie, before a run of five consecutive pars.

The back nine was where it started to unravel for Howell as he missed the green left on 10 to drop a shot.

Howell almost recovered immediately for a third time on 11 but his monster putt just skimmed the hole before he moved to two over on 13.

Further dropped shots on 16 and 18 proved costly for Howell as he looks to get back in the mix tomorrow morning at 8.45am.