DAVID Howell recorded the first hole-in-one at the BMW PGA Championship since 2018 on his way to an excellent second round of 68 at Wentworth on Friday.

The Swindon golfer struck his seven iron perfectly at the par-three 14th, scoring an eagle and activating a promise from the tournament to donate over £70,000 to the Alzheimers Society.

Usually, Howell would have won a car from BMW, however, European Tour officials decided prior to the event that a donation would be made to the value of the car instead.

The former Broome Manor pro followed up his opening day’s round of 72 with a 68 on Friday that featured three birdies and a bogey - in addition to Howell’s eagle hole-in-one - leaving him four under par for the tournament.

The world number 1410 made par on the opening hole, where he shot one-over the day before, prior to making his first birdie of the day on the second.

The third and fourth holes were to follow the same pattern as Thursday’s opening round - featuring a par before a second birdie on the par-five fourth.

Howell went on a run of seven-consecutive pars before knocking in his third birdie, as he had done the day before, on the 12th.

And despite shooting a hole-in-one on the 14th, the 2006 winner of this event would give a shot back immediately on the 15th to finish on four under for the day and the tournament.

Meanwhile, fellow Wiltshire golfer Jordan Smith followed up his level-par opening round with an excellent five-under par second round.