David Howell enjoyed a near-perfect day at the French Open – though it was anything but for his stablemate Lee Westwood.
While Howell, down at 350th in the world, charged into a share of the lead with a 67 at the Alstom French Open, Westwood had an injury scare just 12 days before the start of The Open at Royal Lytham.
The world No 3 tweaked a knee and strained a groin when he slipped walking to the first tee for his third round at Le Golf National near Paris.
It looked serious as he double-bogeyed the opening hole and bogeyed the next five, but with the pain easing he managed to play the remaining 12 holes in two under.
"I was talking to Richard Sterne's caddie and not looking where I was going," Westwood explained after a 76, his worst score in Europe for over three years. "I slipped on wooden sleepers down the side of the cart path. [The pain] seems to have eased off, but I am still a little bit wary of it. I felt if I stopped it might make it worse by seizing up, so I thought it was better to keep it moving."
The wooden sleepers around the course also played a part in Howell's round – in a far more positive way.
His approach to the last only just carried the lake, landing on the sleepers and bounding forward on to the green. After parring the hole to remain six under par, a total which only Dane Anders Hansen could match with a 69, Howell spoke of his delight. "It was a great round," said the 37-year-old former Ryder Cup player, who fell from ninth in the world in 2006 to 569th two years ago.
Scot David Drysdale is tied for 13th on one under par after a 72, while compatriot Marc Warren is a shot further back following his fine round of 68.
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