SWINDON’S David Howell is looking forward to the rare opportunity to play match play golf as he looks to get himself back into the top 100 in the world.

The 40-year-old will start the inaugural Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play this afternoon when he takes on fellow Englishman Daniel Brooks at the Murcar Links Golf Club.

The format for the debutant competition sees 64 players battle it out in straight knockout over four days, with two rounds on both Saturday and Sunday to determine who will lift the trophy.

The Broome Manor pro heads into the tournament in good shape as he remains in the top 20 in the European Tour order of merit, courtesy of a seven-under-par final round at the Omega European Masters to leave him tied 16th for the weekend.

Coming fresh off that strong show last Sunday Howell is excited about getting stuck into the tournament and playing a different kind of golf.

“I am looking forward to it,” said Howell.

“I think all the players have a little bit of a different buzz about the place this week.

“I don’t think anyone here has faced anything like this before.

“Match play on the European Tour has been a very rare thing. Obviously I have a bit of experience with some team events and playing the World Match Play a few times over the years but it is a very different feel.

“The golf course is a very tricky one. It is some of the narrowest fairways I think we have ever seen and it is not an easy test.

“It is very short for a Tour course, but it is quite an unusual challenge.

“I’m ready to get stuck in and try and win that first match.”

If Howell, who is seeded fourth for the tournament, wins his match against Brooks, which tees off at 1.55pm, he will face the winner of the match between Thomas Pieters and David Drydale on Friday.

Despite his favourable seeding, the former Ryder Cup star is not thinking ahead of his first match.

“With match play it is a case of playing against the man, rather than the course,” Howell added.

“It is not so relevant to have a strategy for the course, but I think it is still going to be a course where if you stand up and play well and find the fairways and sink the birdie putts then you have a fair chance of winning the match.

“It sounds pretty obvious, but I think it is so narrow that you have to hit quality shots to be in the right positions.

“Tomorrow you either win or you lose and what is interesting about golf is that you don’t have that feeling of winning very often.”