Howell's bid for Ryder Cup spot back on track

DAVID HOWELL, who said he was "like a bear with a sore head" after missing the cut in his last two events, got his bid for a Ryder Cup berth firmly back on track in the Scandinavian Masters.

A superb run of six top-10 finishes in 15 events has lifted Howell into the automatic qualifying places for the European team to defend the trophy at Oakland Hills in September.

Early exits from both the Open at Troon and last week's Irish Open - where fellow contender Raphael Jacquelin finished second - means his position is far from secure, however, with just five weeks until the team is finalised. However, a first-round 67, five under par, at Barseback yesterday gave him a share of the lead with Sweden's Johan Edfors and every chance of achieving his dream scenario of a second European Tour title to seal his place in Bernhard Langer's team.

Ireland's Paul McGinley is going well, shooting a 69 and a shot further back is Graeme McDowell on 70.

Pre-tournament favourite Lee Westwood could only manage a level-par 72, matched by three-time former winner Colin Montgomerie thanks to a birdie on the 18th, while Nick Faldo recorded a 71 and Luke Donald a 69.Howell would have equalled the course record but for a bogey on the par-five ninth, his final hole.

He surprisingly split from long-time friend and caddie Jason Hempleman after the Scottish Open - where he finished third - and admitted he wondered if he had done the right thing when he promptly missed his first two cuts in a row since the same tournaments last year.

"It was strange not having him around and to miss two cuts in a row you do start questioning yourself," said Howell, who has just one European Tour title, the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, to his name.

"But the last two months I've played great and we were still not getting on as well as we used to and I took the decision that Loch Lomond would be our last tournament. It would have been nice to finish with a win for him."

Howell and Edfors led by one shot from a group of players which included Swedish pair Henrik Stenson and Christopher Hanell and Midlander Steve Webster who was in contention for a long overdue first tour win in the Irish Open last week but unfortunately faded over the weekend.

Defending champion Adam Scott recorded a level-par 72 which included just one par, four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on his front nine, while home favourites and Ryder Cup hopefuls Joakim Haeggman and Fredrik Jacobson struggled to rounds of 76 and 75 respectively.