Crazy spell costs Howell (From Swindon Advertiser)

Crazy spell costs Howell

6:00am Saturday 26th May 2012 in Sport By Andy Warren

FOUR straight bogies on the back nine cost Swindon golfer David Howell a place in the final two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The Broome Manor professional missed the cut after carding a two over par 74 in his second round, having been one over after day one.

Howell’s run of bogeys started at the 13th, and even two birdies at 17 and 18 were not enough to see him make it into the weekend of the event he won in 2006.

Howell also got off to a bad start with a double bogey on the first, which left him with facing an uphill struggle for the rest of the day.

“It really was the worst possible start, especially as I knew I needed to have a good day to be in contention,” he told the Advertiser.

“But then I parred the next two holes and birdied the fourth and I was feeling pretty good.

“I got another birdie at seven but bogied nine, although I got that shot straight back at the tenth which was pleasing.

“I should have birdied the 12th because it was playing well for the day, but I didn’t, and then there was a crazy spell where it slipped away.

“Somehow I three putted on 13 and 16, and in a crazy spell of 20 minutes I went from being in a good position to make the cut to being out of contention.

“I have played a lot worse at this tournament in the last two or three years and made the cut.”

The 36-year-old was disappointed not to progress in front of his home crowd, and admitted not playing for three weeks prior to the event could have affected his performance.

“This was an event I really wanted to do well in because I am only based 15 or 20 minutes away, and there were a lot of people following me which was nice, but unfortunately it was not to be this year.

“I am not really down about my game because I played some good stuff in patches and drove the ball really well in the first round, I think that was as good as it has been all year.

“Obviously I went into the tournament having not played for three weeks, and I suppose it could be down to that, but you could also say it was just not my week.”

England’s James Morrison holds the clubhouse lead overnight, having stormed up the leaderboard with an eight under par second round.

He sits four clear of Luke Donald and David Drysdale who are both eight under.