OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Archer makes cut
9:51pm Friday 18th July 2008
WARRINGTON Sports Personality of the Year Phil Archer told the Warrington Guardian that he was relieved after making the cut by one shot at the Open Championship.
Archer survived a tense finish to his second round at Royal Birkdale as he shot 74.
That put him in tied 69th position on nine over par and booked his place in the field for the weekend.
It was only the second time the Birchwood Golf Club professional, who is ranked 166th in the world, had made the cut at a major.
Archer knew a par on the 18th in worsening conditions would almost certainly be enough to make the cut.
And he punched the air as he holed a tricky short putt for a four, to the delight of his sizeable Birchwood following.
Asked whether he felt a feeling of relief at the end of his round, Archer said: "Very much so.
"I had a bit of a bogey run on the back nine and lost the swing a little bit but managed to pull it back on the last four holes. I was swinging lovely on the last four holes.
"The putt on the 18th was a two-footer and there was a little bit of break so it’s always a bit tense, especially when the rain came in as well. It was lovely to knock it in.
"On the first 10 holes there’s wasn’t that much wind and rain, so the conditions weren't too bad.
"But the back nine was quite tough because the wind got up again and the rain starting coming in.
"I’m just going to enjoy it again tomorrow. To play in another weekend in a major will be lovely and I’m just going to really enjoy it."
Archer had earlier moved into the top 20 after starting his second round with four pars and a birdie.
He hit the pin with a chip to make par on the third before holing a 15-foot putt for a third on the fifth, where he also made a birdie on Thursday.
Archer produced a miracle par save on the sixth when he holed a long putt from off the green.
But he dropped a shot at the par three seventh after a wayward tee shot landed underneath a scoreboard.
Archer then became embroiled in a row with the match referee on the eighth because he felt he was entitled to a free drop after his ball became plugged in a clump of long grass on a bank.
"It was a plugged ball that was embedded in the ground," said Archer.
"Usually you get a drop for it but it’s only this week that you don’t get a drop for it apparently. They made a separate rule that it’s only for plugged balls on the fairway.
"That worked against me a little bit."
After losing the debate he bogeyed that hole but recovered the shot on the ninth after hitting a magnificent 200-yard approach from the rough to within two feet of the hole.
"That was a great shot," he said.
"It was a five iron to about two feet. They’re always the nicest birdies."
But, as the wind grew stronger, four consecutive bogeys left Archer on nine over and in danger of suffering an early exit from the tournament.
He three-putted from short of the green on 11 before an awkward stance meant he took two attempts to get out of a bunker at 12.
Archer also paid for missing the green on 13 and 14 but birdied the par five 15th with a 10-foot putt.
He dropped back to nine over with a bogey on 16 but pars on the final two holes kept him in the tournament.
He faced a tense half-hour wait for confirmation after finishing his round at nearly 9pm.
And he will be back on the course for his third round at 7.30am tomorrow.