Philip Archer leads as weather hits

Britain's Phillip Archer took the clubhouse lead after a first round cut short by bad weather at the Dunhill Championship on Thursday.

Rain interrupted play for two hours 15 minutes. Eighty one competitors completed their rounds and 75 were still on the course when darkness fell.

World number five Ernie Els, in his second tournament since returning from knee surgery, was one under through 13. The South African picked up three birdies in four holes on the back nine before darkness fell.

Archer was in the fifth group out and posted a six-under-par 66 before the wind picked up and thunderstorms drove the golfers from the Leopard Creek Country Club course.

Holder Charl Schwartzel was also six-under through 13 holes. The South African blazed through the front nine in a best of the day 30 strokes.

Experienced Swede Jarmo Sandelin was in the clubhouse on 67 and South African Jean Hugo was also five-under through 12 holes.

"I was surprised how hot it was early morning, the sun was beating down on us already on the first tee," Archer told reporters.

"I felt good all the way round although I was a bit lucky on the 18th," said the 33-year-old Englishman.

"I hit my four-iron to the green a bit thin and I was shouting at the ball the whole way. It cleared the water by a foot."

Archer birdied the par-five closing hole, having also picked up a stroke at the par-four 17th.

Schwartzel collected eight birdies in his 13 holes while Sandelin, who last won at the 2002 Asian Open, matched Archer's feat by birdying the 17th and 18th.

"To start early in the morning is always an advantage on this course but I was very happy to get the sort of score I've been shooting in practice rounds in a championship round," said Sandelin.

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