DAVID Howell has pledged to continue his "scrap" for world ranking points after battling through the wind and rain to secure a surprise top 20 finish at the European Open.

The Swindon ace shot up the leaderboard from 43rd to tied 18th with a final round of 70 on a miserable day for golf at the London Club in Ash, Kent.

Howell's closing 18 holes included four birdies and just two bogeys, as many of his rivals struggled to cope in the difficult conditions.

And with his favourite European Tour event - the Scottish Open - to follow on Thursday, the 32-year-old revealed he is feeling much better about his future prospects.

Howell said: "Results give you confidence and even though I didn't strike the ball too cleanly this week, I still managed a top 20 finish, which was my best since Portugal.

"From tee to green I struggled at times but my short game was fantastic and that's why I managed to score so consistently.

"The conditions were so difficult over the weekend that you had to scrap and battle for everything and that's exactly what I did."

With The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale just 10 days away, Howell can take comfort from a week which saw him produce some of his most consistent golf in months.

Rounds of 71, 72, 73 and 70 was a marked improvement on his missed cut at the French Open, as the man from Broome Manor showed glimpes of a return to top form.

"Every time you finish in the top 30 you pick up some decent money if nothing else, and of course your ranking goes up slightly," he said.

"I want to be at the top of the leaderboard but I'm not really playing well enough for that to happen at the moment.

"We go to Loch Lomond for the Scottish Open this week. It's a course that suits my game and I've had some good finishes there, so I'm really looking forward to it."