Archer holds clubhouse lead

An early start helped England’s Phillip Archer miss the afternoon thunder and lightning which disrupted the opening day of the Dunhill Championship in South Africa and he benefited greatly by claiming the clubhouse lead.

Archer shot a six-under-par 66 at the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane and was safely back indoors well before play was suspended because of an electrical storm.

South African and defending champion Charl Schwartzel drew level with Archer but his round was curtailed to 13 holes because of the rain delay.

Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin and another South African Jean Hugo share third place on five under, although the latter will return tomorrow to complete the final six holes of his round.

Scottish player Doug McGuigan, Finland’s Tuomas Tuovinen, Swede Johan Edfors and South Africa duo Jaco van Zyl and Michiel Bothma are all four-under-par, at varying stages of their rounds.

However, it was the 33-year-old Archer who set the early pace before the hooter sounded at 1pm local time.

Three birdies on his front nine took him to the turn in 32 and three more followed after the turn, with two coming at the tough 17th and 18th.

“Things started to go good from the first hole,” Archer said.

“I teed off at seven in the morning and I felt good. I’ve been working on my flexibility during these last few months and it is definitely paying off.”

Of his birdie-birdie finish Archer added: “That was amazing.

“I sunk a 40-foot snaking putt on the 17th and then hit an excellent four iron to that scary 18th green.”

The par five last features an island green and to go for it in two requires nerves of steel – something which the Warrington-born golfer doubted he had after he hit the shot.

“I was screaming at my ball and telling it to make the green. It just did by about a foot – any less would have been in the water.”

English duo Gary Clark and David Carter both carded 69s to be in the group on three under, with Ireland’s Gary Murphy on the same score after 12 holes.

After being sidelined with a knee injury for more than four months world number five Ernie Els finished one under for his 13 holes.

Having bogeyed the 319-yard par four sixth to turn one over he then had three birdies in four holes – spoiled only by a dropped shot at the 11th, another short par-four.

Damien McGrane and Stephen Browne were both on two under par while fellow Irishman David Higgins has it all to do on four over par.