David Howell back in form

Golf Monthly’s playing editor gives an insight into his excellent first round of 69.

“I am delighted, 68 is probably the worst I could have shot, which is a nice thing to say bearing in mind my recent form. I only hit three or four bad shots and a lot of very good ones.”

“I was delighted to finish with a birdie, I felt like I deserved 68 or better and would have been let down had I only finished one under. After being four under through nine it would have felt like I had let slip a golden opportunity.”

“It is just nice to have put a good round on the board and it is lovely that it has come in the first round of the Open. I haven’t played a decent round of golf all year, today was by far the best round of golf all year.”

“After a terrible hook on the second I made a mental decision that I was going to play with a fade for the whole day. It is a style of play that my coach and caddy like me to play but it’s one that I generally don’t do too much because I don’t want to be one dimensional. It worked really well out there on the fiery fairways.”

“I texted my mate this morning saying that I would ring him after a 68 so maybe tomorrow I will tell him that I will ring him after a 64!”

Where next?

- More Golf Monthly blogs - Blogs from the Open Championship - New equipment reviews - Peter Thomson interview