DAVID Howell missed the cut at this week’s Scottish Open by five shots after ending Friday's second round on one over par.

The event in Scotland was Howell’s final chance to qualify for The Open Championship, which takes place at Royal Portrush next week, but the former Swindon resident was never in contention for a required top-10 finish.

Scoring had been particularly low up at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick with the leaders storming to 14 under at the halfway stage.

However, Howell could only manage to post a score of level par after Thursday’s first round before struggling to a one-over score of 72 on Friday.

Teeing off as one of the first groups on Friday morning, the 43-year-old was unable to create any early momentum as he headed out onto the course, posting six consecutive pars before the first birdie of the day on seven.

Reaching the turn at one under, Howell then bogeyed the par-four 10th hole before another bogey followed on 12.

The 600-yard par five was birdied by the former Broome Manor pro during Thursday’s opening round, however, Howell was unable to replicate that strong showing as the shot a six to move back to one over par for the day.

The former Ryder Cup player immediately responded with a superb putt on 13 to shift back down to level par before a string of four pars in a row followed.

And despite all the battling to carve something positive out of his week, Howell finished the day with a bogey five on the 18th, just as he had done the day before.

Meanwhile, fellow Wiltshire golfer Jordan Smith faces a nervous wait to see if he has made the weekend as a second round of 68 pushed the Derry Hill man up to four under, just above the current cut line.