DAVID Howell signed off his European Tour season in dreary fashion after carding a four-over par round of 75 at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

The Swindon ace, who was playing his last event of the year, has endured an injury hit season, with back problems causing him to miss two months of action.

Since his comeback in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship two weeks ago, Howell was looking to build on his tied 58th place finish at the Italian Open last time out.

The two-time Ryder Cup winner was hoping to make back-to-back cuts for the first time this season in Sotogrande. However, the 42-year-old was up against it from the get go following after he hit a six-over par 77 opening round in Spain on Thursday.

Howell’s first blip came on the second hole when he collected his first bogey of the day, on the 421-yard par-four.

That was the only blemish in Howell’s opening nine holes as he hit a run of seven consecutive pars.

However, Howell dropped another shot on the par-four 10th take him to two-over for the day, in what was a high round of scoring.

The 13th hole then saw the two-time Ryder Cup winner hit a double bogey six, which was his first of the day as his scorecard read 10-over after two rounds Wiltshire’s Laurie Canter was also in action and he too had a day to forget, as he shot a six-over round of 76 as he too missed the cut.