NOT for the first time in recent weeks, David Howell was left to pick the positives out of a disappointing end to his quest for a long-awaited European Tour title.

After missing out in play-offs at the last two events, the Ryder Cup star never got going on the final day of the BMW Championship.

He began the afternoon eight under par two off the lead shared by eventual winner Angel Cabrera and Peter Hedblom.

But as Cabrera and Howell's playing partner Paul McGinley picked up birdies for fun, it was an immense struggle for the Swindonian as a series of wayward drives and approach shots left him battling to save par on most holes.

It was testament to Howell's grit that he did not drop a single shot in a one under round of 71 which saw him finish fourth.

He said: "I just didn't hit a shot all day really there was probably one, a nine iron, which isn't the hardest thing in the world to do.

"That's very frustrating but I've come fourth in the PGA which is my best ever and things are going great in general.

"It goes to show what potential there is if I actually start hitting the ball straight. I'm not hitting it as well as I need to win these tournaments but I'm doing everything else well enough to finish in the positions I'm finishing at the moment.

"That's great it's a big part of golf and only three people have beaten me again this week.

"But it's frustrating having given myself half a chance today, not to have played better.

"I've had another great week though and I'm upbeat," added the World No 30, who can expect to rise again in the latest rankings.

"I've learned not to despair when I'm hitting the ball terribly. It's the one thing I have least control over.

"If I'm not on my game all I can do is get round in as good a score as possible and I've done that here. All in all, I've had a fantastic three weeks."

Howell was playing catch up from the start as his first tee shot nestled in the rough and within swinging distance of a tree, yet he recovered to save par.

His only birdie of the day arrived in unlikely circumstances on the par-five fourth.

Howell was awarded a free drop after another hooked drive was stepped on by an unwitting spectator.

Even after the reprieve he was in thick rough but smashed a brilliant second shot to the front edge of the green and got down in two to move to nine under.

But that's where he stayed for the rest of the afternoon as he failed to keep pace with McGinley's charge.

With two holes remaining, both par fives, Howell needed a pair of eagles to stand any chance a feat he achieved 24 hours earlier.

He was in good shape after two shots on the 17th, a hole he eagled on each of the first three days, but could only get down in three and the dream died.

McGinley, who had played breathtaking golf on the front nine, wobbled late on, dropping shots on 16 and 17 and handing the crown to 35-year-old Cabrera.

Howell added: "Paul played fantastic and made me look like a 10 handicapper for the first 16 holes.

"He was unlucky not to win it it just didn't go right for him at the end."

Cabrera, twice a runner-up in the past four years, denied Ryder Cup hero McGinley the solo victory he so desperately wanted at Wentworth.

But the Dubliner, having made a brilliant last-day dash into the lead, will reflect instead on two late bogeys which ended his hopes in the European tour's flagship event.

He and Cabrera were level with three holes to play, but McGinley then found two bunkers on the 383-yard 16th and could not scramble a par.

When the South American, second to Andy Oldcorn in 2001 and Scott Drummond 12 months ago, holed an 18-footer for birdie on the same green a few minutes later the gap was two.

And it grew to three when McGinley made a mess of the 571-yard 17th, driving into rough behind trees on the right, leaving his chip 14 feet short and missing the putt for a bogey six.

The Irishman, who holed Europe's winning putt at The Belfry in 2001 and was unbeaten in last September's record-breaking triumph in Detroit, did two-putt the last for birdie, but once Cabrera had parred the 17th the big-hitter could afford a closing six and still win.

He took five, though, to match McGinley's 67 and so finished with a 15 under par total of 273.