GRAHAM Howell, who was once Dorset's leading professional, tackles this week's Welsh Professional Championship with a new zest after a recent return to form.

He has produced a succession of top finishes in recent pro-ams and revealed that a change of swing has contributed to his new-found form.

Before travelling to Southerndown for the £35,000 Welsh Pros championship he said: "I am becoming more consistent.

"The reason is a combination of a new swing that has given me more confidence. I am now swinging more upright and down the line.

"My short game is a lot better and I am putting well. I am now playing the way I used to."

Howell, 34, won the West Region order of merit 10 years ago after passing his PGA exams as an assistant to Doug Sewell at Ferndown. He later moved to Sturminster Marshall and is now attached to Ferndown Forest.

He is still searching for his first outright victory of the season. He did lead the top team in the Columbian Pro-am at The Vale in Wales. His only individual success was at Torquay - but that was shared by four others. Since then he has rarely featured outside the top half-dozen.

He was runner-up in three successive events in seven days - at Weymouth, Lilley Brook and in the Pontypridd pro-am before the Phil Price Challenge order or merit tournament.

He was seventh in the Price Challenge and then shared third place with Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) at Newport where they returned three-under-par 69s.

Then he maintained this form at Exeter on Sunday in a pro-am curtailed to 16 holes after an hour's mid-afternoon stoppage because of thunder and lightning.

He returned two-under-par 58, one ahead of Thompson, to claim third place. The cheque for £476 took his winnings to around £3,000 over the past couple of weeks.

"Another win would be nice now," he said. His record in the Wales Pros has been steady. He was 16th at the Vale of Llangollen last year and eighth at Pyle and Kenfig in 2002.

He will miss the Bournemouth Festival and the final order of merit tournament at Pennard because of his adult education coaching commitments.