BASINGSTOKE golfer Stuart Archibald retired after six holes of his second round at The Glenfarclas Open.

The 31-year-old travelled to Earl of Mar Golf Club, in Scotland, for the EuroPro Tour event, but he was unable to get himself in contention during the first day and retired a third of the way through his second round.

Archibald made a birdie at his opening hole of the event and while bogeys followed at holes four and seven, he picked up a shot at the ninth to get him back to level par.

The Worting golfer suffered a setback on the 10th, making a double-bogey, while a bogey at the 12th set him back further. A birdie at the 14th was followed by a bogey at 16 as he carded a three-over-par round of 73 that left him down the leaderboard.

Archibald's second round got off to a nightmare start as he made a triple-bogey eighth at the par-five opening hole. Further bogeys followed at holes two, four and six before he retired - and he has since been receiving treatment on a troublesome elbow injury.

Archibald's withdrawal saw him slip five places to 48th in the EuroPro Tour's Race to Desert Springs standings.

He is due to return to action at The Wealth Design Invitational, which gets under way at Hawkstone Park, in Shrewsbury, on Wednesday.