DAVID Howell ended his week in Austria on a high as he secured his second highest finish of an injury-disrupted European Tour season so far today.

The two-time Ryder Cup star, from Swindon, carded a best-of-the-week 70 at the Lyoness Open at the Diamond Country Club to finish just outside the top 30 at Atzenbrugg.

Howell, who turns 41 later this month, struck five birdies and three bogeys in his final round, as he continued his comeback in what was his second tournament since a three-month break due to a foot injury.

He finished tied 31st as China's Wu Ashun claimed his second European Tour title.

Wu began the day a shot behind South Africa's Zander Lombard, but surged to the top of the leaderboard with five birdies on the front nine.

His three-shot lead lasted just two holes as he found water with his approach to the 10th to card a double bogey and then bogeyed the 11th after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

That left him tied with England's Richard McEvoy and Spain's Adrian Otaegui on 11 under, with Lombard a shot behind after dropping a shot on the 10th.

Wu regained the outright lead with a birdie on the par-five 15th, where his approach almost span back into the hole, but Otaegui birdied the same hole and also the 16th to join his playing partner on 13 under.

However, Otaegui then failed to save par from short of the 17th green and with McEvoy unable to find any more birdies, Wu was left to close out a one-shot triumph.

With the US Open at Oakmont, Pennsylvania, taking centre stages this week, Howell is next expected back in action at the BMW International Open Golf Club in Germany in two weeks.