Profile / Bill Elliott / 17 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

Bill Elliott believes the likeable Englishman may have finally come back to form

So that was the Masters then. Three interesting days and then, following the pattern set in recent times, a rather dull, slow, patient, sleep-inducing final round. Trevor Immelman finally lives up to his potential while Tiger Woods plays rubbish, finishes second and books a hospital bed. No Grand Slam this year, just another op on his troublesome knee.

Meanwhile the music grinds on and for the European Tour this means several thousand miles east and the Volvo China Open. Naturally. No sooner does the 'home' tour actually touch European soil - in Portugal a fortnight ago - than it takes flight like a startled bird, Village Earth brought vividly to life.

Beijing is the host again, a city for which few people carry any sort of torch at present, but a continuing cash cow for the Euro Tour, an organisation that knows a very, very good thing when it sees one. And in a field that contains the usual large posse of unknown Chinese and Korean players, any of whom just might be a ringer, one name stands out for all the right reasons.

Less than two years ago David Howell seemed set to put together a career worth savouring. A Ryder Cup star, he added lustre to his cluster when he held off Tiger Woods to win in China. The fact that he played alongside Woods in this final round only added to the general gaiety surrounding this nice bloke from Swindon. Then his occasionally fragile body began to fall apart and David fell down the world rankings as though concrete blocks were tied to his spikes.

His main problem is a bent spine, a congenital poser that suggests his future as a top golfer depends on reliable physio and a pretty big slice of luck. What is does not depend on is 'talent' because Howell has plenty of the right stuff as well as an enviable nerve. A fortnight ago he displayed both qualities when he lost the Portugese Open title only after a play-off.

It would have been close to sensational had he actually won this title after so many recent setbacks. It WAS sensational that he came so close. Sensational for him that is. I called him that evening to offer congratulations on his success (he won the tournament, just lost the extra holes that decided the money distribution) and his reaction was like that of a child who has just fallen over but discovered a large ice-cream on the way back up.

"Thanks, " he said. "It's more than slightly reassuring that I can still pay this game a bit. After all I've been through it's only natural to start to have doubts. It would have been nice to have pushed on through and to have won the play-off but the big result for me here is to my confidence."

Quite so. David Howell is a pleasant-natured top level pro, a high-level sportsman whose instinct is to keep both feet on the ground whether he is flying high or scraping a lot of low points. He is, in other words, a credit to his profession and his up-bringing. The fact that he is also a significant talent whose edge has been blunted recently by injury is a source of regret for many of us who admire his tenacity and decency.

What happens in the future for him will largely be determined by how well he manages to barricade that body but, be advised, do not write him off either for further success this season or for making what would be his third Ryder Cup team. If there is any justice left in this skewed world then David Howell is about to reassert his presence at least close to the top table. We'll see...

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