OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Archer pleased with solid first round
4:56pm Thursday 17th July 2008
WARRINGTON Sports Personality of the Year Phil Archer believes he has put himself in a position to challenge with a solid first round of 75 at the Open Championship.
The Birchwood Golf Club professional was one of the clubhouse leaders when he finished on five over par at Birkdale near Southport in fiendish first-day conditions, which saw him start his round in wind and rain but end it in calmer conditions.
Milder afternoon weather saw the late finishers push Archer out of the top 50 with Rocco Mediate, Graeme McDowell and Robert Allenby leading the 154-man field on one under par.
But those who had late starts on Thursday are likely to be at a disadvantage on Friday, with difficult conditions expected early in the day.
Archer, who had a mid-morning start today, tees off at 3.48pm tomorrow.
After his round, Archer told the Warrington Guardian: "It wasn't too bad really. Apart from a couple of double bogeys out there it wasn't too horrendous. I'm quite happy.
"There's a lot of high scores out there, so I'm not placed too badly. I played quite patiently, so I'm happy overall.
"I played well and if I take the double bogeys out tomorrow I'll be up there.
"I'll just be after more of the same really. If I can stay patient and hit the ball like I did today, there's no reason why I can't be up there."
Archer bogeyed the first hole before hitting a spectator - his former next door neighbour Rob Bell, of all people - in the chest with his drive on the second, to the amusement of his fellow Birchwood member.
Archer said: "He didn't knock it into a good enough lie for me I'm afraid! I apologised to him and he's all right."
Archer, who had strong support on the course from family and Birchwood members, did recover to make par and then birdied the third to return to level par and put himself among the early leaders.
But a poor chip shot, which went straight into a nearby bunker, led to a double bogey on four, although Archer then holed a long putt from the front of the fifth green to record a great birdie.
Archer said: "It was a 40-footer and it got a good roar around the green because I had quite a few supporters out there. That was lovely to hole."
Archer three-putted to drop shots on six and seven before parring the next three holes.
And he slipped to five over par with a double bogey on the 11th after thinning a shot out of the rough into a bank and then taking two shots to escape from the tricky spot.
"On the 11th I got a little bit greedy taking on a four iron when I should have just laid up and tried to up and down it as I've done all day," he said.
"I paid the consequences for it really.
"The other double bogey was after I found a divot on the four and duffed it into the bunker.
"If you take those doubles out, I would have been one over and it would have been a fantastic round."
Archer parred the next two holes and although he dropped another shot on the 14th - the hole marshalled by Birchwood Golf Club - he responded with a birdie on the par five 15th.
Another par five birdie followed a bogey on the 16th before he ended the round with an impressive chip to the holeside to make par on the 18th.
Tomorrow Archer will again play alongside Argentina's Ariel Canete and American Craig Barlow, who finished on eight over and nine over respectively today.