DAVID Howell faced an early start in what is likely to be his final European Tour event of a frustrating 2016 season at the Portugal Masters this morning.

Swindon star Howell was in the sixth group out at 8.50am this morning at Victoria Clube de Golfe in Vilamoura, teeing off his first round at the 10th hole alongside Ireland’s three-time major champion, Padraig Harrington, and Swede Kristoffer Broberg.

Howell has endured an injury-ravaged year and this week’s tournament in Portugal will be just his 21st entry of the season.

The Broome Manor man faced a lengthy lay-off with a foot problem at the start of the year and has most recently been suffering with a wrist injury.

He will hope that does not harm his chances of adding just a second top-10 finish of the campaign this week, with that previous success coming when he finished in a tie for third at the Czech Masters in August.

Howell faces a huge task if he is to extend his season into the tour’s Race to Dubai Final Series, which starts at the Turkish Airlines Open in the first week of November.

Only the top 60 players in the rankings qualify for the final three tournaments of the season, with Howell currently languishing down in 107th place.

The 41-year-old is just under 200,000 Euros off the final qualification spot and would require either a tournament win or outright second-placed finish in Portugal to claim enough prize money to overhaul the deficit.

Howell has not competed in this event since 2014, where he failed to make the cut and finished well down the field in a tie for 80th.

The two-time Ryder Cup winner was in action closer to home last time out, finishing in a tie for 60th at the British Masters at the Grove last week.