DAVID Howell made a solid if unspectacular start to the Sicilian Open today as he carded a one-over 72 in the first round on the Italian island.

The 42-year-old Swindon golfer, who has made back-to-back cuts in his last two outings on the European Tour, made a decent beginning to the opening day’s action after teeing off on the 11th hole at Verdura Golf Club.

Howell hit a birdie three on his first hole and followed that up with a run of five consecutive pars.

However, Broome Manor man Howell could not sustain that form as he brought his first nine to a close, and bogeys at numbers 16 and 18 - his sixth and eighth holes - dropped him to one-over.

Howell was able to steady the ship with three pars in a row and then got himself back to even for the day with a second birdie on number four - his 12th hole.

Five pars in a row followed that, but the two-time Ryder Cup winner’s hopes of a level-par first round or better were scuppered at his final hole as Howell posted a bogey five on number 10.

That has Howell seven shots off the early pace set by Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard after he opened up the tournament with a six-under 65.

Howell will tee off his second round at 12.25pm BST tomorrow, alongside Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and Australian Marcus Fraser.

Fellow Wiltshire players Laurie Canter and Ben Stow are also in action in Italy and fared slightly better.

Canter, who plays out of Cumberwell Park in Bradford on Avon, managed a one-under round of 70, with his six birdies helping to offset the damage caused by a double-bogey as well as three bogeys.

While 25-year-old Stow, who has recently returned from a long-term knee injury, also finished one-under after a slightly less frenetic scorecard that included two birdies and one bogey.