Tough schedule for Els

World number five Ernie Els will be able to give a good test to the knee he injured in the summer as a thunderstorm means he must play 23 holes in the Dunhill Championship in South Africa today.

Els returned to the course at 6.30am local time to complete his first round after managing only 13 holes yesterday, reaching one under before the close.

In his second competitive outing since coming back from surgery after a water sports accident, the South African bogeyed the 319-yard par-four sixth to turn one over but then had three birdies in four holes – spoiled only by a dropped shot at the 11th, another short par-four.

That put him five shots off the lead set by early starter Phillip Archer, who shot a six-under-par 66 at the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane and was safely back indoors well before play was halted because of an electrical storm.

South Africa’s 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 today 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 on the way in, with two coming at the tough 17th and 18th holes.

“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.”

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