DAVID Howell recorded his best round of the week on the final day of the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco today to finish inside the top 40.

The Swindon star shot a two-under round of 70 – breaking level par for the first time in the tournament – to finish on three-over overall at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and in a tie for 36th place.

Frenchman Alexander Levy claimed victory by a single shot after a two-under final round took him to eight-under overall.

Spaniard Alvaro Quiros had entered the final round with a slender one-shot lead at seven-under but a level par round of 72 saw him forced to settle for second place.

Howell’s fellow Wiltshire golfers Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith finished tied 29th on one-over and tied 52nd on six-over respectively.

Broome Manor man Howell began the final day at five-over but immediately started heading up the leaderboard after a birdie at the first hole.

Although he recorded a first bogey of the day at the fourth, that was offset by another birdie at the very next hole.

A third birdie of the day arrived at the ninth hole as Howell reached the turn at two-under for the day.

The 42-year-old began the second nine with a run of three successive pars before a second bogey arrived at the 13th.

Once again Howell was quick to recover and he claimed a fourth birdie of the day at number 14 to claim that shot back before a run of four more pars saw him to the finish in two-under and three-over overall.