DAVID Howell, the West Country's most successful sportsman, is returning to Celtic Manor this month to help rediscover his form.

He has decided to play in this year's Wales Open over the new Twenty Ten course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2010.

He has missed the event for the past two years as he established himself as England's leading golfer and featured high in the world rankings.

After suffering a series of injury setbacks with shoulder and back problems, his career nosedived last year after the highlights of 2006 when he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup for the second time.

The unassuming 32-year-old from Swindon, who has made nearly £7 million since turning professional after helping Great Britain and Ireland win the Walker Cup at Royal Porthcawl in 1995, is showing great signs that he is on the way back.

There could be no better place to continue his rehabilitation than at the Celtic Manor Resort, just an hour away from his Swindon fan base.

His many friends in the West from his amateur days with Wiltshire were delighted when he shot a sensational seven-under-par 64 to jump into a three-way tie for the lead in the Estoril Open at Oitavos a month ago.

Despite losing in a play-off to Frenchman Gregory Bourdy at the third extra hole after pulling his four-iron approach, Howell still feels he has some way to go.

it was a giant step forward for a player who has dropped just inside the top 200 in the world following a nightmare run of form that prompted a change of coach two weeks earlier.

He parted company with Clive Tucker after five years and brought in Jamie Gough. The other change he made a year ago was signing up caddie Nick Mumford, his former Wiltshire amateur colleague from West Wilts.

Privately he doubts whether he will be ready to stake a serious claim to retain his Ryder Cup place this year at Valhalla in Kentucky. His lowly world ranking of 194 is keeping him out of the big events. He had to watch the US Masters on television and is not eligible for the lucrative world ranking tournaments.

He is quietly plotting his way round the golfing world and played back-to-back tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai in China.

He is still keeping his fingers crossed that a couple more good results could bring him into contention.

After his visit to the Chinese capital he was 55th in Europe and climbing the ladder.

He returns to compete in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - the Tour's flagship event he won at his peak in 2005 - before travelling West along the M4 to Wales.

The field at Celtic Manor is probably the best ever, led by Open champion Padraig Harrington and featuring favourites like Colin Montgomerie, Bradley Dredge and defending champion Richard Sterne.

9:54am Wednesday 30th April 2008

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