SWINDON golfer David Howell will make his first European Tour appearance in over three weeks when competing in Germany this weekend at the BMW International.

The 43-year-old will be looking to make his second cut of the season this weekend following a below-par performance in Denmark towards the end of last month.

Rounds of two and three-over at the Made in Denmark competition in Farso dropped him to a disappointing T120 finish – his seventh finish of 100th or higher this season.

Howell has spent his time between competitions by combining work on the driving range with some family time at home.

And he hopes his familiarity with the Golfclub München Eichenried setup can inspire him to a second third-day appearance of the season – though he understands the challenges that await him in the coming two days.

He said: “The course has changed a lot over the years, and there are new greens. But I’m familiar with the area and hopefully we can enjoy a positive result.

“I’ve had a bit of time to see my chiropractor since Denmark to make sure I’m feeling a bit better.

“My form has been okay in the last couple of days, and my coach is here this week. We managed to make the cut when he was last with me (at the British Masters).

“Hopefully we can enjoy a week of similar success. This is a big part of the season, it would be a nice time to do something positive.”

His performance in Denmark epitomised what has been another below-par season to date for the two-times Ryder Cup champion.

In 10 competitions, he has made the cut once – and finished in the top 100 on just three occasions.

Poor performances in Dubai, Oman, India and China – among others – have resulted in Howell pocketing just over £15,500 in prize money, a stark contrast to the £63,000 he had earned by this time last season.

Howell admits improvements are required in all areas for him to start competing regularly. And it all starts with his work off the tee.

He added: “My short game and putting has also been an area of strength for me, so I need to make sure I am always doing that well while elevating my weaknesses to an okay level.

“I need to be sharp around the greens and on them. If I can hold my own off the tee then I can hopefully play some good golf.

“I haven’t putted particularly well this year, everything really needs to be that bit better.

“I had a good range session yesterday. I rested easy, knowing I have a game plan for today.”

Howell will tee-off at 9am (local time) in the company of Gonzalo Fdez-Castano and Florian Fritsch.