AN EXCELLENT five-under-par final round of 67 earned Basingstoke golfer Stuart Archibald a place in the second stage of European Tour Qualifying.
 

The 29-year-old from Worting was three shots outside the top 20 finish
he needed to progress after three rounds at Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Club, in Kelso, Scotland, last week.
 

He needed a strong final round to have a chance of going through and
did exactly what was needed.
 

Birdies at two of the first three holes helped him to reach the turn one-under-par for the day and his good form continued on the back nine, a further four birdies resulting in a round of 67 (-5).
 

That score saw Archibald shoot up the leaderboard to ninth place on -1, earning him a place at the second stage of qualifying, which will take place in Spain in early November.
 

Archibald said: “From the start of the week I knew level par would probably be around the mark needed, so I was always in with a chance.

When it came to the final day I knew I had to shoot in the 60s to get through and I did it.
 

“I played really nicely all four days but putted really badly over the first couple and it cost me. I just didn’t seem to be making any up and downs. On the last day it all went right. I still didn’t putt amazingly, but I hit the ball really well. I think I hit 17 greens so I had a few more chances and I took some of them.”
 

Archibald began the tournament with a level par round of 72 despite making bogeys at three of the last four holes. Two rounds of 74 (+2),
the second of which included bogeys at the final three holes, left him off the pace, but he hit back excellently.
 

Archibald will spend the next month or so in the middle east, playing five tournaments at courses across the region on the MENA Tour, something he hopes will stand him in good stead when it comes to the next stage of tour
school.
 

“I am looking forward to the second stage now,” he added. “If I can
carry on playing the way I have been then I fancy my chances of
getting through again.
 

“The main thing for me is that in the past I have gone to the second
stage of qualifying having not played for more than a month. This
year I will constantly be playing competitively so I am in as good a
position as I ever have been.”