A BOGEY at the penultimate hole cost David Howell an under-par round at the Trophee Hassan II today as he opened up with a level-par 73 in Morocco.

Swindon star Howell was in red figures as he teed off at the short 17th at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam but a bogey four followed by par five on the final hole meant he had to settle with an even-par beginning to the tournament.

However, that has the 41-year-old in a tie for 33rd place and well positioned as he looks to make just his second cut of the 2017 European Tour season – and first of the current calendar year.

Broome Manor man Howell is only three shots off the early lead, held in a five-way tie by Frenchmen Gary Stal and Gregory Havret, England’s James Morrison, Dane Lucas Bjerregaard and Italy's Edoardo Molinari after they all opened up with three-under rounds of 70.

Teeing off at the first, Howell slid over-par early on after a bogey at the third hole, and although that was offset by a birdie at the fifth, back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes saw him fall to two-over.

However, a birdie at the short ninth saw Howell moving in the right direction as he reached the turn and after a run of five straight pars, two more birdies followed on the 15th and 16th holes to take him into red figures.

Howell could not sustain that momentum, though, and a bogey at the 17th saw him have to make do with a level-par opening to the tournament.

Two-time Ryder Cup winner Howell gets his second round under way at 8.20am BST this morning, teeing off at the 10th hole alongside Spain’s Alejandro Canizares and South African Richard Sterne.