Howell targets K Club glory

David Howell wants to make an instant transformation from Ryder Cup rookie to European stalwart at the K Club next year.

Howell made his debut in the record victory at Oakland Hills last year and only played once before the singles, combining with Paul Casey for a vital fourball win on the second day in Detroit.

Since then the 30-year-old from Swindon has taken his game to another level and now looks certain to be one of captain Ian Woosnam’s key team members in Ireland next September.

Howell led for long stretches of his Masters debut at Augusta in April and then lost back-to-back play-offs for the British Masters and Irish Open, and finished fourth in the BMW Championship the following week.

An abdominal muscle injury suffered at the US Open kept him out for two months but he then finished sixth in the NEC Invitational and won the BMW International Open in his third event back – also his first tour title in six years.

Two more top 10s followed before a disappointing 37th in the Dunhill Links championship on Sunday, so it is hardly surprising the former Walker Cup star is setting his sights higher and higher.

“I am still in awe of the way Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia played in the last Ryder Cup, picking up three or four points,” Howell told PA Sport ahead of this week’s American Express Championship in San Francisco.

“I thought it was a fantastic performance in such a long week, for them to play five matches was just incredible. I would love to be that person in the next one.

“If I keep playing as I am hopefully I am going to force m way onto the team, which is the first thing, and it would be nice to play a bigger part.

“I am not complacent because there are so many great players in Europe now so it is going to be a real tough battle to make the team but I am in a better position now than I was two years ago, and I made it last time so hopefully will do so again.”

Howell and Casey could also renew their successful partnership at the K Club after combining to win three points out of four in the Seve Trophy last month.

“Hopefully maybe we are developing something there,” added Howell, who also beat Thomas Bjorn in the final day singles as Britain and Ireland recovered from a 4-1 deficit to retain the trophy. “We have now played five matches together and won four so that is a strong partnership.

“The Seve Trophy is different than the Ryder Cup but it’s still a good experience of team golf. It depends on whether we both make the team but I am sure Ian Woosnam was taking notice of our partnership.”

Sixth place at Akron proved Howell can now compete at the highest level and the popular Englishman is determined to maintain his form as the season winds down.

“It would be nice to have a big finish in a couple of the big events left like the Volvo Masters or the HSBC event in China,” said Howell, third behind Ernie Els in this event at Mount Juliet in Ireland last year.

“If I could do that and take a big chunk out of the qualification for the Ryder Cup before the winter break that would be great. I need to keep my foot on the pedal and not let the year drift off quietly.”