DAVID Howell put his vast European Tour experience to good use to place himself in the thick of the early action at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this morning.

The Swindon ace, the most experienced player in the 126-man field as he made his 545th European Tour appeareance at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, carded a four-under-par 68 to park himself inside the top 10.

Howell's score matched that of world number one Jordan Spieth, who hailed a "masterclass" from Rory McIlroy after the world number three recorded an opening 66.

The Broome Manor member was steady, rather than spectacular in his opening nine, opening with four pars before adding a birdie at the par four fifth.

Another followed at the long eighth as he reached the turn in 34 strokes, but the two-time Ryder Cup star really picked up the pace on the turn for home.

Birdies at the 10th and 12th followed before his first stumbles of the day, back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th.

Howell though birdied the short 15th and ended his day with another birdie at the long final hole.

American amateur Bryson Dechambeau set a blistering early pace, carding an eigh under par 64 to take the clubhouse lead, with Sweden's Henrik Stenson a shot behind.