David Howell pulls out from Dutch Open

David Howell's Ryder Cup hopes suffered a severe blow when he was forced to withdraw from the £800,000 Dutch Open at Hilversum.

The 24-year-old, from Swindon, had hardly started his round before admitting defeat in his battle against a painful toe injury.

Howell, who led the Order of Merit earlier this season after his victory in the Dubai Classic, saw a chiropodist this week and decided to try and compete, with valuable Ryder Cup points at stake.

But shortly after hitting his tee shot on the first hole he decided the infected toe was too painful to carry on and he will now have only four more chances to gain enough points to move into an automatic qualification place from 15th in the current standings.

Out on the course, the early pace was being set by Spanish Ryder Cup player Ignacio Garrido at three under par after 12 holes.

Garrido, part of the victorious European team at Valderrama in 1997, currently languishes in 36th place in the points table after a poor season by his standards.

But he proved he is determined to try and retain his place in Mark James' side to defend the trophy in Boston in September and grabbed the lead with five birdies and two bogeys on the tight tree-lined course.

Garrido was one ahead of a group of players on two under that included Argentinian Eduardo Romero and Ireland's Paul McGinley, but Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal had dropped back after a superb start.

Olazabal holed from 25ft for a birdie on the first and then chipped from just off the green for another birdie on the third.

But his Achilles heel, namely wayward drives, eventually cost him dear, and he ran up three consecutive bogeys around the turn to be one over.

Garrido finished off his round in style with a birdie on the par five 18th to complete a round of four-under-par 67.

With conditions worsening all the time with heavy rain added to a freshening breeze, the Spaniard's score looked like being a tough target to beat.

In-form Argentinian Angel Cabrera, joint fourth at Carnoustie last week, was also four under towards the end of his round courtesy of eagles at the fourth and 12th with compatriot Eduardo Romero and local favourite Rolf Muntz one shot back.

Things were going from bad to worse for Olazabal, however, with further bogeys on the back nine taking him to three over.

Playing partner Eduardo Romero, however, finished strongly with birdies at the final two holes for a 67 to join Garrido at the top of the leaderboard.

That leaderboard had a distinctly Latin flavour, with Cabrera also on four under after finishing with three pars.

Ryder Cup captain Mark James and playing partner Lee Westwood, meanwhile, had to settle for matching rounds of 72.

AP