GOLF: Crossing the Atlantic could not stop David Howell from making it six consecutive rounds in the 60s.

Four days after winning the BMW Championship at Wentworth and making the world's top 10 for the first time Howell started the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village in Ohio with a three under par 69.

It left Swindon's European Tour Order of Merit leader in a share of sixth place only two behind early clubhouse leader Sean O'Hair.

Howell began with a birdie and after bogeys at the fourth and fifth came back with further birdies on the next two holes and then picked up more shots on the 12th and 13th.

Alongside him was Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Swede Carl Pettersson, who still had four holes to play.

An eagle and three birdies put Mickelson five under with two to play, but he bogeyed the last two holes, while Davis Love was heading for a 67 as well until he double-bogeyed the last, driving into sand and then three-putting.

In contrast, O'Hair came back from a double bogey at the third with five birdies in the next six and added two more on the 15th and 18th for a one-stroke lead over fellow Americans Ted Purdy, Zach Johnson, Steve Flesch and Stewart Cink, all of whom had still to play the closing stretch.

Garcia, seeking his first victory of the year, was two over after four, but climbed all the way to four under before failing to get and down from a greenside bunker at the 17th.

Paul Casey and Greg Owen returned two under 70s, while late starter Ian Poulter turned in a one under 35. But Vijay Singh and Justin Rose managed only 74 and 75 respectively and Ernie Els was one over with two to play.

It was another eventful day in the life of John Daly. Seven over with four to play he birdied three of them, but on the 17th had a quadruple bogey eight and so finished with an 80. He was in joint last place.