EDDIE Pepperell has been frustrated by “atrocious” putting which has prevented him from converting encouraging form into low scores on the European Tour.

The golfer from Abingdon made only his second cut of the season and finished in a share of 38th place at the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily on Sunday.

While it was a step in the right direction after missing the cut a week earlier in Portugal, the 26-year-old is only just inside the top 200 in the tour’s rankings.

It means he is not eligible to play in one of the year’s big events, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which starts tomorrow.

Missing out on such an important competition on home soil is a blow, but Pepperell is upbeat about the coming weeks – if he can find an answer to his woes on the green.

He said: “The last few events have been more frustrating than anything.

“To be honest I would say the last five events I have played a lot better and it’s been my putting which has let me down.

“The last two weeks I have hit the ball as well as ever, especially the first two days in Sicily.

“My iron play was great, but my putting was atrocious.

“I’m playing well enough to contend, but my putting is well below where it should be.

“That’s the focus for me moving forward.”

The Frilford Heath golfer is next in action at Walton Heath on Monday, where he will attempt to come through qualifying for the US Open at Wisconsin’s Erin Hills.

Pepperell was successful in 2013, when he secured a place at Merion in Pennsylvania.

He will then play back-to-back events on the European Tour, at the Nordea Masters in Sweden next week, followed by the Lyoness Open in Austria.