DAVID Howell had made a steady start to the Portugal Masters before seeing his round washed out.

Howell was on one-under-par after 16 holes when heavy rain brought play to an abrupt halt on the opening day of the Portugal Masters, at the Oceånico Victoria Golf Club.

The Broome Manor pro made a good start to proceedings birdying the par-four second and the par-four fourth, before getting his first blotch on the score-card with a bogey on the par-five fifth.

Howell recovered well from that disappointment to score three on the par-four seventh to go out in a two-under-par of 33.

The Wiltshireman had further trouble on the other par-five hole on the Vilamoura course, only managing an unsatisfactory six at the 12th.

Howell’s round was cut short heading to the 17th when play was suspended, with heavy rain flooding the course.

The Swindon golfer will resume play this morning starting on one-under-par.

Elsewhere on the course Nicolas Colsaerts missed out on the first 59 of The European Tour as he finished the day as overall leader with a score of 11-under-par.

The Belgian slid an 18-foot foot birdie putt agonisingly just past the left-hand lip of the 18th to fall short of the elusive feat by a single stroke.

No player has broken 60 in the 42-year history of The European Tour.

The weather forced play to be called off for the day shortly after Colsaerts left the 18th, and 16 groups including Howell will resume at 8.15am tomorrow morning.