A NIGGLY shoulder injury will do little to stop David Howell in his tracks tomorrow as he eyes US Open qualification at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey.

Howell, who finished on nine-under for a top 50 finish at the Italian Open in Brescia over the weekend, will need to finish in the top 16 of tomorrow’s field if he’s to book his spot at Shinnecock Hills later this month.

However the 42-year-old, who is also due to compete in Austria from Thursday, picked up a minor injury to his shoulder in Italy.

It’s the first knock Howell has suffered in two months after overcoming ongoing back issues, and the Swindon golfer admitted he is frustrated by the situation.

He said: “It’s all about boosting my confidence.

“I’ve got a niggly shoulder problem, which is a bit worrying. I may have to change my tactics a little bit.

“I can’t quite believe it, I’ve had a couple of free months without injury and now this one comes up.

“It’s a nice opportunity to get some more rounds on the board, and it will be another boost to my confidence if I get through.

“The top 16 qualify, it’s a good challenge.

“If I can take one of the spots it will be a boost, that’s the way I’m looking at it.”

Howell’s form in Italy saw him reach eight-under after 31 holes, putting him in with a chance of earning his first European Tour win in five years.

But a level-par round on day three restricted his progress before a tidy two-under performance on the final day of play left him nine-under overall.

While being pleased with his performance across the four days, Howell admitted he was frustrated not to kick on from his promising early start.

He said: “It was a little bit disappointing given I was eight-under after 31 holes before I dropped a shot.

“To only move on one from that point was a little frustrating.

“Day three was tough. I lost the swing a little bit – I didn’t swing anywhere near as well as I did the two days before.

“I had plenty of chances on the greens, but it was a tough day - I played reasonably well on day four and felt a little bit better.

“It wasn’t an amazing score but nine-under overall is good and another step in the right direction.”