DAVID Howell believes that luck is going against him at the minute despite a solid second round at the Tshwane Open.

The Broome Manor pro carded another three-under-par 69 in South Africa yesterday to take him to six-under for the tournament after day one saw him go around without dropping a shot.

However, Howell, who only arrived in the country on Wednesday, feels that his score could have been even better had a few more putts gone.

“Hopefully I’ll get a bit more luck over the weekend,” Howell told Advertiser. “There were a few putts that missed and I’m hopeful that they will go in during the rest of the tournament.”

Howell got off to a fine start in Centurion, as he scored a birdie two on the third hole, but a bogey six at six blotted his copybook slightly, before birding the seventh, 15th and 16th.

“That was slightly annoying,” Howell said. “It was a simple chip on to the green and I basically chose the wrong club, but it was nice to bounce back on the seventh with a birdie.

“I’d had a good start as well, hitting the tee shot on the third to just five feet from the pin - that is a tricky hole.”

Howell is now looking to climb the leaderboard in the final two days of the Tshwane Open.

He said: “I’m hitting the ball quite nicely at the moment and I’m looking to be a bit closer up the leaderboard.

“I just need to keep playing well and I’m sure it’ll come, if not over this weekend, then over the next tournaments.”