DAVID Howell wasn’t quite able to recreate his opening day heroics at the Joburg Open as he shot a two-over-par second round today.

Howell, who finished second at the same tournament last year, sealed an eagle and four birdies on his way to a storming six-under-par 65 yesterday but shooting on the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club’s East Course today, the 40-year-old enjoyed less of a romp.

The Swindon ace made par through the majority of his first nine, with a bogey on the par-four seventh hold the only blot on his copybook.

But Howell also found trouble on the 10th and 15th, with the Broome Manor man bogeying both, before the two-time Ryder Cup star clawed back some of the deficit with a birdie on the par-five 18th to card a round of 74 overall.

That saw him slip from tied second on the leaderboard overnight to tied 42nd.

He is now 10 shots off the pace being set by fellow Englishman Ross McGowan, who leads the way on 14-under after a brilliant nine-under-par second round of 62.

Howell is bidding to move back into contention tomorrow and is due to tee off his third round at 7.01am GMT alongside South African Callum Mowat.