SWINDON’S David Howell was part of the only European pairing to pick up a victory on the opening day of the Royal Trophy this morning.

The Broome Manor pro is representing Europe in the event in China, which sees them take on an Asian representative side at Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, over three days of competition.

Howell partnered Marc Warren in the foursomes on day one and were the only European duo to pick up a point as they defeated Wen-chong Llang and Wu Ashun 2&1.

Europe trail 3-1 after the pairings of Stephen Gallacher and Paul Lawrie, Nicolas Colsaerts and Bernd Wiesberger and Alvaro Quiros and Thorbjorn Olesen lost the three other games.

Howell and Warren opened with a birdie on the first hole to go one up but were soon pegged back with a bogey on the second before the Asian pairing took the lead with a par at the fourth.

The two duos stayed locked until the eighth, when Europe regained the advantage before victory at the next two holes stretched the advantage further.

Llang and Wu pulled a shot back immediately and then reduced the deficit to only one hole with five to play, but a European birdie at the 13th stretched the lead back to two holes and Howell and Warren saw things out from there.