Water torture for Howell

1:53pm Thursday 17th April 2008

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DAVID Howell conceded he has plenty more to do to prove he is on the way back to golf's top table after a first round in the Volvo China Open that left him lost for words.

Howell, due to tee off his second round in Beijing in the early hours of this morning, was left stunned after a nightmare finish at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club saw him back where he started - at level par.

The Broome Manor man carded seven birdies and was near the top of the leaderboard at five under par at one stage.

But a disastrous final four holes - including a triple bogey eight at his finishing hole the ninth where he twice found water - slipped him back into the pack.

"I don't know what to say,'' admitted Howell. "Five under would have been a miracle, three under would have been delightful but level par was a disaster.'' Howell came close to recording a first victory in nearly two years when he lost out to Gregory Bourdy in a sudden-death play-off at the Portuguese Open the week before last.

That came about after he started work with a new coach, Jamie Gough.

But he insists there is still much to be done before he can claim to be back to the sort of form that saw him eclipse Tiger Woods at the HSBC Champions' event in Shanghai just over two years ago.

"My confidence is vastly improved,'' he added.

"That was my first week working with the new coach and we have started embarking on changing a good number of things and it really clicked into place that week.

"But that process is still ongoing, it's not like I'm incredibly comfortable.

"I was uncomfortable all that week believe it or not and I'm still pretty uncomfortable with things now. But it just goes to show that I can still play no matter how I am feeling.

"It will take a bit of time before I am competent with the changes I am making and am comfortable with them and I am not at that stage yet.

"It is not like I'll be stood on the first tee feeling like I am in the best form of my life but I feel I am working on some good things and that is very important.'' Referring to his finish in Portugal, he added: "We all need a result now and again to remind yourself you can still play the game and I hadn't had one for some time.

"It doesn't necessarily mean you will continue in that vein constantly but you have to have your first good week at some stage. It was very pleasing.

"If I had a little more luck, perhaps I would have sneaked it but it was a big turnaround in my form and it is my job to continue it.'' France's Michael Lorenzo-Vera broke out of the logjam at the top of the leaderboard to take a one-shot lead as the opening round came to a close.

The 23-year-old, who finished as top of the Challenge Tour last year, carded a five-under-par 67 to lead a clutch of seven players.