DAVID Howell shot an unblemished round of 66 as the leaders disappeared off into the horizon on day three of the BMW Masters in Shanghai this morning.
The Swindon ace fired six birdies at Lake Malaren Golf Club, but stil found himself a mammoth 17 shots adrift of leader Alexander Levy, of France, who fired a third round of 63 to reach 22 under par, four strokes ahead of Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson, who compiled a brilliant 62.
For the second successive day, Howell started at the tenth and birdied it, picking up two further shots at the 15th and 18th to reach the turn in 33.
He then reeled off three straight birdies from the first before parring home.
Donaldson's Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose was four over par after four holes on Thursday and although he recovered to shoot 72 and then add rounds of 65 and 64, still found himself seven shots off the lead.
Overnight leader Nicolas Colsaerts was nine shots off the pace after a 73 which included a double-bogey six on the 18th.
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