Convincing win leaves Howell happy

England’s David Howell tonight celebrated a runaway victory in Europe’s second biggest tournament – and much, much more.

Only winning a major or sinking the winning putt in the Ryder Cup could top the satisfaction the 30-year-old from Swindon felt from cruising to a five-shot victory over Essex’s Simon Khan in the BMW Championship at Wentworth.

It seals a second Ryder Cup cap for him – he now tops that table as well - and, perhaps most satisfyingly of all, it takes him into the world’s top 10 for the first time in his life.

“That’s marvellous – fantastic,” he said when told his victory had moved up from 17th to 10th, just ahead of his Ryder and World Cup team-mate Luke Donald.

“When I turned pro (in 1995) I just wanted to make a living. Even a couple of years ago I was striving to get into the top 50 and didn’t know if I ever would.

“I remember being delighted when I made the cut at the tour school and knew I would be playing the Challenge Tour.

“I thought that was a fantastic achievement, but obviously things have gone slightly better!”

Howell had no expectations, though, of going as well as he did on his arrival at Wentworth for the tour’s flagship event.

The back twinges the former British boy champion started experiencing at the Masters led to him taking four weeks off and after returning at the British Masters he skipped the Irish Open because it was still a concern.

You never would have guessed it just watching him, however. One behind after an opening 68 he went three clear with a 65 and kept that advantage with a 69.

Any hopes Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez, his closest overnight challenger, had of heaping pressure on were quashed by Howell’s birdies at the second, fourth and fifth.

The last of those was a 45-foot putt and with Jimenez bogeying the sixth and ninth the gap went to seven.

A bogey on the 10th was no cause for alarm and after two-putting the long 12th he parred his way in.

Howell has now won more than £6million in his European career – and one other bonus of this performance is that he is guaranteed a return to the same course for a shot at the £1million first prize (the biggest in golf) in the HSBC World Match Championship in September.

That comes a week before the Ryder Cup in Ireland and Tiger Woods will be another of the 16 players on view.

Not that that holds any worries for Howell – he faced Woods head-to-head in Shanghai in November and not only held off the world number one, but went further away from him.

“I don’t fear anybody any more,” he stated. “I’m not the best player in the world – whether I will be is another matter – but I don’t think there’s anybody I can’t beat on my day.”

Khan had reason to feel every bit as pleased.

The 33-year-old came into the event a lowly 159th on the money list and the money he received as runner-up was not just more than he received for winning the Wales Open two years ago, but more than 10 times his earnings for this season.

Two closing birdies allowed him to pip Jimenez for second place and it gives people a reason to talk about Khan for more than the £8,000 and £4,000 fines he received for slow play last year – and that after a one-shot penalty for the same thing at Wentworth the previous season.

Even with slipping to third, Jimenez has moved back into contention for a third Ryder Cup cap, but other cup hopefuls did not have a good day.

Nick Dougherty, who dreamt on Thursday night of winning with a closing 63 and was second at halfway, needed an eagle on the last for a nightmare 78 and finished only 37th.

For the third week running Paul Casey was in the hunt and fell back – from third to 11th on the final day this time – and Donald’s 25th place was a disappointment too after he shared the first-round lead with Casey and Dougherty.

Ireland's Pádraig Harrington finished strongly to finish tied for sixth on seven under. Peter Lawrie was four shots further back, while Grame McDowell finished on two over.