EDDIE Pepperell recovered from a horror start to stay in contention for the cut at the Wales Open.

The Abingdon golfer shot a three-over par 74 at Celtic Manor – but it could have been much worse.

The 29-year-old was in one of the last groups to tee off, alongside American Kurt Kitayama and Sami Valimaki, from Finland.

After parring the first two holes, disaster struck as the Frilford Heath member double-bogeyed the third and the fifth.

Pepperell steadied himself and racked up nine pars in a row, before he birdied the 15th.

He avoided dropping a shot at the final three holes and tees off at 10.12 this morning.

Meanwhile, Olly Huggins failed to make the cut at the prestigious Brabazon Trophy.

The Frilford Heath member was well-placed after a one-under par opening round of 70 at Sherwood Forest GC, Nottingham.

But Huggins followed it up with a 75 to crush his chances of sticking around for yesterday’s finale.

The Brabazon Trophy is England’s national amateur stroke play golf championship.