OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Archer fulfilling his dream
10:33am Thursday 17th July 2008
WARRINGTON Sports Personality of the Year Phil Archer is about to get underway in the Open Championship, amid driving rain.
And he will get special support from members of his own club on his Open Championship debut.
The 36-year-old European Tour golfer is fulfilling a lifelong ambition by appearing at the Open for the first time at Royal Birkdale, having progressed through international final qualifying two weeks ago.
Archer tees off his first round at 10.37am today, Thursday, alongside Argentina’s Ariel Canete and American Craig Barlow before starting his second round at 3.48pm tomorrow.
With the Southport course just 20 miles from Warrington, Archer will receive plenty of local support at Birkdale but he will get an extra spur on one particular hole.
His home club, Birchwood Golf Club, have been chosen to marshal the 201-yard par three 14th hole at the four-day event.
More than 50 members of the club will be present and Archer will be keen to give them a birdie to cheer.
He said: “It’s lovely to get in the Open this year with Birkdale being so close.
“My golf course is marshalling one of the holes so we’re going to have a lot of members there.
“I’m going to have a few shouts on that hole!”
Archer goes to Birkdale having missed seven of his last eight cuts in four-day tournaments.
Rounds of 74 and 72 left him in tied 126th position on four over par at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on Friday.
But he has fared better in recent one-day qualifying events, making the Open and the US Open.
Archer had been attempting to qualify for the Open Championship since 1992 and, despite numerous setbacks, he was always confident he would qualify one day.
“I always thought one time I would get in,” he said.
“But I just didn’t put too much expectation on it.
“I thought, ‘If I get in, I get in’. I thought I’d get in one year.”