Swindon's Howell struggles at weather-affected Joberg Open (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon's Howell struggles at weather-affected Joberg Open

6:00am Monday 16th January 2012 in Golf

SWINDON’S David Howell ultimately missed the cut at the season-opening Joberg Open.

The tournament’s second round was dragged into Saturday after weather delays during the first two days of the tournament in South Africa.

Howell managed to complete is second round on Friday afternoon, carding an encouraging one-under-par round of 70.

But the damage had been done with an opening 74 during his first competItive outing of the year.

That left the Broome Manor pro one over for the event and by the time the dust finally settled on the delayed second round, that was a long way short of the four-under required for an extended stay.

Home favourite Branden Grace carded a level-par 72 in his final round to win the tournament and deny Jamie Elson what would have been a remarkable triumph.

Englishman Elson finished with a stunning nine-under-par 63 which gave him the clubhouse lead for much of the afternoon.

But his wait for a mistake from Grace proved in vain as the local player calmly parred his way to victory on Royal Johannesburg and Kensington’s East Course.

Grace, the joint overnight leader following a rain-shortened third day, ended up finishing the tournament on 17 under par, a shot clear of Elson and three in front of a group of six players on 14 under.

They were Scottish duo David Drysdale and Marc Warren, and South Africans Jaco Van Zyl, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Dawie Van der Walt and Michiel Bothma.

Grace was tied for the lead yesterday on 15 under with England's Richard Finch when the day's play was suspended by heavy storms.

The 23-year-old from Pretoria birdied the final two holes of his third round this morning to move to 17 under, building a three-shot lead over nearest challengers Finch and South African George Coetzee heading into the final round.

Finch had been in contention for the opening three days but he had a Sunday to forget after completing his third round with a bogey five on the 17th before then falling away badly in his final round when he shot a six-over-par 78 to finish on eight under.