DAVID Howell admits he faces a crunch month in determining how successful his 2016 season can be.

A long-term foot injury has restricted the Swindon star to just eight European Tour events so far this year, with Howell returning from a three-month spell out at the BMW PGA Championships at Wentworth at the end of May.

Broome Manor man Howell has played just once since then, finishing in a tie for 31st place at the Lyonness Open in Austria a fortnight ago.

Howell is back in action at the BMW International Open in Pulheim, Germany, tomorrow, the first of four tournaments in as many weeks.

He is then set to play the French Open and the Scottish Open before the third major of the year, the Open Championship, at Royal Troon on July 14.

Howell’s lengthy hiatus has left him down in 163rd place in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings and he knows he needs a strong run of results to haul himself into the top 60 and qualify for November’s season finale – the DP World Tour Championships.

“It’s been a stop-start season. Hopefully, this is going to be the start of four weeks in a row leading up to the Open,” said Howell.

“I was pleased to get four rounds in Austria and finish middle of the pack. Hopefully, the foot will continue to be OK. It feels fine. I’m not concerned and am not coming here worried about it.

“I am looking to put some scores on the board and get a bit of momentum going. You always hope for the best and if I could get into the top 20, then I’d be quite pleased with that.

“Anything better than Austria will be acceptable and then we go into France, which is a huge week in terms of points.

“If I am going to have any chance of doing well in the Race to Dubai and getting into the tournaments at the end of the year, then this is going to be a crucial period for me.”

Howell turns 41 tomorrow and tees off his first round at 11:50am alongside fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and South Africa’s George Coetzee.

The two-time Ryder Cup winner triumphed in this event in 2006 – although that was not at its current home at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof – and Howell is upbeat about his chances again a decade on.

“It’s a tournament I’ve won in the past, albeit at a different course. This course is looking good and it’s one that I have played before, so it’s all very familiar surroundings,” said Howell.