DAVID Howell has set his sights on reclaiming a place in the world’s top 50 after achieving his highest ranking in eight years.

Howell’s third-placed finish at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay earlier this month continued his fine 2015 season and saw him climb to 86th in the world, having started the year just inside the top 150.

With that lofty new ranking has also come qualification for the final major of the year – this week’s US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, which starts tomorrow and sees him tee off just before 1pm alongside Americans Grant Sturgeon and Boo Weekly.

Although he has yet to taste victory on the European Tour this season, Howell hopes he can continue his excellent form and go on to better things before the end of the year.

“Without having the win it still shows how consistently I have been playing,” said 40-year-old Howell, who dropped as low as world number 566 in 2010.

“If I can continue in that form, and hopefully pick up a win along the way, I will be right on the road to the top 50, which is where I want to be. This is the best I have been playing since those really good years from 2004 until 2006 but I just haven’t got across the line.

“That is something I have to keep working on for the rest of the year but when you keep finding yourself in contention at tournaments on Sunday evening it certainly makes life on tour a lot more fun.

“I gave myself three or four days off last week to enjoy a bit of family time before I flew out to the US on Sunday. After that I have got three weeks off so I’ll be putting everything I have into doing well at the PGA this week and I will just see where that takes me.”

Howell’s heroics in Aberdeen last week saw him claim a fifth top-five finish this season, although it only came after a last-minute decision to compete.

It could have been even better for the Broome Manor pro had his semi-final against Swede Robert Karlsson not ended in heartbreak after a defeat at the second extra hole.

Two-time Ryder Cup star Howell said: “I wasn’t sure if I was going to play as my schedule has been quite full on and I had played the previous five weeks in a row before that but the fact I wanted to qualify for the PGA forced my hand.

“Match play is a lot of fun, it’s a different test and I felt like I did a lot of things well.

“I gave myself a great chance of getting through to the final but unfortunately I made a mistake. It was just a course management issue, I picked the wrong club and was too aggressive.

“It was a bitter way to go out and I was disappointed afterwards but it was still a good week and third place isn’t too bad at all.”