Howell hopes for high Open finish

The 138th Open, Turnberry
Date: 16-19 July
Coverage: Live TV coverage on BBC Two, Online and the Red Button, live on Radio 5 Live and text commentary online on all four days

By Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Turnberry

Howell is hoping to sign off at Turnberry with a good final round

David Howell is hopeful of another final day show at the Open as he looks to improve on last year's best-ever seventh place at Royal Birkdale.

The Swindon golfer failed to make the third-round move he hoped for by shooting only a two-over 72, one behind Bristol's Chris Wood.

He told BBC Sport: "I've not got myself in a position to win.

"But, with a good round tomorrow who knows? I can kick-start the second half of my year if I go out and play well."

Howell's hopes started disappearing when he pulled his seven-iron approach to the first out of bounds for a double bogey, followed by further dropped shots at 3 and 4.

With four birdies at 8, 9, 10 and 17, either side of dropped shots at 12 and 16, Howell then played the next 14 holes in two under.

"I was pleased with my score in the end after getting off to the worst possible start," he admitted.

"I hit a nice tee-shot, tried to hold up a seven iron to the green, which was 40 yards off line.

"That made me the only player all week to put one out of bounds at the first, which was not exactly what we wanted to do.

"I then bogeyed 3 and 4 too.

"After the start I had, my job was not to have a terrible day. But I've always believed I'm strong mentally, just not physically sometimes.

"I turned it round with three birdies in a row at 8, 9 and 10. And I nearly had another at 11, where I hit a lovely tee shot to give me a 15-footer uphill.

He was a pleasure to play with. He even called a penalty on himself on the 11th green when none of us had seen him move the ball. And that sums up the game of golf really Chris Wood on playing with Justin Leonard

"But I then hit a poor tee-shot to drop one at 12. And, after a five at 16, I birdied 16 so, in the end, two over for the day was a pretty good effort."

Wood also made a bad start, dropping back to two over with bogeys at 2 and 6. But the three birdies he came up with (at 7, 12 and 17) were all cancelled out by three more dropped shots (at 10, 15 and 16).

Wood blamed his blade, admitting: "I've struggled with the pace of the greens all week.

"I felt like I got nothing out of today, despite playing solid."

But last year's top amateur, who astounded many by finishing tied for fifth at Royal Birkdale, does still have the target of another top 10 placing - and a ticket to St Andrews in a year's time.

"I'm just hoping I can have another good finish," he said. "And that might get me in for next year."

The one positive aspect he did get from his day at Turnberry was playing with 1997 champion Justin Leonard, who won his Open just up the coast at Royal Troon.

"He was a pleasure to play with," said Wood. "He even called a penalty on himself on the 11th green when none of us had seen him move the ball. And that sums up the game of golf really."

For Casey, it was not such a good day, four bogey fives in his first five holes condemning him to a 74 which left the World No 3 on eight over - and well out of it.

"The start wasn't very good," he admitted. "But it's a very difficult golf course on a very difficult day."