FOUR dropped shots in his final four holes saw a good opening day turn into a bad one for David Howell at the Scandinavian Invitation on Thursday.

Swindon star Howell teed off on his 15th hole at Hills Golf & Sports Club in Gothenburg, Sweden, sitting nicely at one-under par.

However, the 44-year-old finished bogey, double bogey, par, bogey, to sign for a three-over 73 and leave himself outside the top 100 on the leaderboard after the first round.

Fellow Wiltshire players Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter also endured tough opening rounds of 74 and 72 respectively.

Australian Wade Ormsby is the early leader after a superb eight-under first round of 62 that included seven birdies and an eagle.

Teeing off at the 10th hole, Howell’s day did not get off the best of starts as he was two-over after two holes after an opening par was followed by a double-bogey six.

One of those shots was swiftly claimed back at the very next hole, and after a run of five pars in a row, the Broome Manor man recorded another birdie at his final hole before the turn to return to level par.

Another birdie followed at Howell’s 10th to get him into red figures, and although a shot was dropped at the next, another birdie promptly arrived at his 12th hole.

Back-to-back pars then brought some calm to proceedings to leave Howell on one-under through 14, but that is when disaster struck.

A bogey at Howell’s 15th brought his score back to level par before a double-bogey six was recorded at the next.

A par at the penultimate hole did not improve things before there was one final piece of disappointment for Howell before the finish as he closed his round with a bogey to sign for a three-over 73.