A MISERABLE run of five dropped shots in four holes meant it was a tough start for David Howell at the Made In Denmark tournament on the European Tour today, with a four-over first round of 76 leaving him with plenty of work to do to make the cut.
Swindon star Howell had been ticking along nicely on one-under after seven holes in Aarhus, but he tumbled down the leaderboard after closing his front nine with a bogey and a double.
More woes arrived immediately after the turn at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club as Howell began his homeward stretch with back-to-back bogeys.
All that leaves Broome Manor man Howell in a tie for 132nd place amongst the 147-man field heading into tomorrow’s second round.
Englishman Jonathan Thomson currently leads the way after posting nine birdies on his way to a stunning eight-under first round of 64.
Teeing off at the 10th hole, Howell had actually got his day off to the best possible start with a birdie at his second hole.
Although a bogey followed on his sixth, another birdie immediately after that and had the 43-year-old back in red figures for the tournament.
However, the wheels then well and truly fell off Howell’s round as he surrendered a succession of shots, the worst being the double bogey six at the 18th hole - his ninth.
Although Howell was able to stop the rot and closed his round with a run of seven pars in a row, the damage was already done and means the two-time Ryder Cup winner has a lot of work to do to make the cut in today’s second round.
Howell’s playing partner and fellow Wiltshire pro Laurie Canter began the tournament with a one-under round of 71, while the third county player in action in Denmark, Jordan Smith, shot a two-under 70.
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