David Howell is joining one of the DP World Tour's most exclusive clubs this week as he tees it up in his 700th event at the 2022 Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale.
The Englishman joins Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Sam Torrance as the only players to have reached the landmark and he sits just 17 starts short of Jiménez's all-time appearance record.
Howell made his DP World Tour debut at the 1994 Benson and Hedges International Open and the following 28 years and 698 appearances have seen some incredible moments.
He has claimed five wins and played on two victorious European Ryder Cup teams and the 47-year-old admits he could never have dreamed of such longevity when he started out.
An emotional @davidhowell530 reflects on reaching a landmark 700th Tour appearance 👏#CazooOpen pic.twitter.com/HWJ1OTEl9o
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 4, 2022
"It's quite remarkable really," he said. "You set off on Tour and just hope to get a card, find out what that means, and you make your way.
"You couldn't dream it actually, I don't think there's ever a time that you're on Tour and think that you'd reach the number of 700.
"It's a lot of events, I'm always someone who's played a lot, obviously, and I'm very proud to have got to that number - there's only two other people.
"It's not something that you aim for but it's something that comes your way if you're out here long enough and of course I'm very proud."
After coming through the Qualifying School in 1995, Howell established himself on Tour, claiming a maiden win at the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic and earning himself a place on the Ryder Cup team in 2004 where he took one point from two matches in Europe’s thumping 18½-9½ victory.
A second win arrived at the 2005 BMW International Open and he would claim some international recognition six weeks later with a tie for sixth at the WGC-American Express Championship, but his real breakthrough came in November.
At the HSBC Champions, he held off the challenge of Tiger Woods to claim a three-shot win and kick-start a 2006 season that saw him also win the BMW PGA Championship and finish a career-high third on the then Order of Merit - a third consecutive top ten on the season-long standings.
"Wentworth was definitely the most satisfied I've ever felt after a golf tournament," he said. "To win our flagship event near to where I live and in quite nice fashion, that was amazing. That walk up the 18th was definitely the walk of dreams.
"That was the one that I had always wanted to do well in as a DP World Tour member. You certainly make a beeline for certain events and Wentworth was one of those so to come out victorious in 2006 was amazing."
That form also earned him a second consecutive Ryder Cup appearance, where he earned 2½ points from three matches as Europe once again trounced the United States by nine points.
His fifth and latest DP World Tour victory came at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2013 and four years later he became the Tour’s Tournament Committee Chairman.
After this week at The Celtic Manor Resort, Howell will head off on holiday but he will be back for the D+D Real Czech Masters, with the third member of the 700 Club showing no signs of slowing down.
