China Open: David Howell finishes second to home winner Wu Ashun

David Howell was a member of the winning European Ryder Cup teams in 2004 and 2006

David Howell narrowly failed to win his first European Tour title since 2013 as he finished a shot adrift of China's Wu Ashun in the Volvo China Open.

Wu, 29, finished on nine under after a final-round one-under 71 to secure a maiden European Tour title in Shanghai.

Howell, 39, looked on course to force a play-off until he bogeyed the par-five 18th to finish with a level-par 72.

Wu, who also plays on the Japan Tour, is the first Chinese player to win a European Tour event in his homeland.

"It is very special to be a Chinese winner at the China Open," he said.

"It is a great tournament and everybody is here, my friends, people from Pudong Golf Club and the China Golf Association. They helped me to play well and I did it."

Howell, who was fourth at last week's Shenzhen International, has won five times on the European Tour, most recently at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in September 2013.

Wu Ashun has won twice on the Japan Golf Tour, in 2012 and 2013