GOLF: Howell on the way home

8:50am Saturday 26th April 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

DAVID Howell will have an extra two days to prepare for his own tournament after missing the halfway cut at the BMW Asian Open by a single stroke yesterday.

The Swindon ace is on his way back to Britain after carding rounds of 75 and 73 to finish the event on four over par, one shot adrift of the dreaded dotted line.

Next weekend the 32-year-old returns to Broome Manor for the David Howell Classic, with his caddie and former Wiltshire team-mate Nick Mumford also among the competitors.

The pair will have to put a brave face on things though after a disappointing two rounds at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, which saw Howell close nine shots off the leaders.

Resuming his challenge on three over par, Howell made a promising start with a birdie at the first hole, but gave it back straight away with a bogey on the second.

It was a similar story on holes seven and eight, Howell again picking up a shot before tossing it away.

After reaching the turn in level par for the day, bogeys at 12 and 14 left the Ryder Cup star reeling on five over.

A birdie at the 16th gave him a glimmer of hope of making the cut, but another birdie attempt on the last rolled agonisingly wide of the cup as he missed out by a stroke.

Having hit just 14 out of 28 fairways on the opening two days, it will be back to driving range for Howell as he continues to mould his new swing into place.

Back in Shanghai, Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen and home favourite Zhang Lian-Wei shared the halfway lead on five under par.

Howell's Ryder Cup colleague Darren Clarke is sitting pretty in third place on four under, with veteran Australian Peter O'Malley and Englishman Miles Tunnicliff tied for fourth on three under.