Former Ryder Cup star David Howell, down from ninth in the Official World Golf Rankings four years ago to his current 408th, gave flashes of his old brilliance when The European Tour finally hit European soil.
Howell birdied three of his first four holes at the Open de Andalucia de Golf in Malaga and shared top spot with fellow Englishman Richard Bland. Conqueror of Tiger Woods at the 2005 HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, the 34 year old from Swindon was part of the winning Ryder Cup teams at Oakland Hills and The K Club. But since then he has suffered a series of injuries and he ended last season commentating on the game rather than playing it.
Howell had his first top-20 finish of the season in Morocco on Sunday, however, and was back on a leaderboard at long last as the first round got underway. Howell reached four under at the 16th, and was joined out in front by Wales Bradley Dredge - who earlier spoke of his desire to make a Ryder Cup debut at The Celtic Manor Resort in October. "I need to win tournaments and these are the sort I have to look at," he said before teeing off. "Unfortunately I've not played well enough to get in the majors or world championships, but I know what I have to do and you never know."
Italian Francesco Molinari reached three under through eight to take sole possession of third. South African Louis Oosthuizen, runner-up to Welshman Rhys Davies at the weekend and trying for a win that could earn him a place in the Masters Tournament at Augusta in two weeks, had two birdies in the first three, but in between missed the short 11th and bogeyed. That left him one under and part of a group which also included Howell's ex-cup team-mate Darren Clarke.
