Archer - Playing in the PGA Cup is a career highlight

01/09/2017

Phillip Archer Web

Representing Great Britain and Ireland at this year’s PGA Cup will be viewed as a career highlight for three-time Challenge Tour winner Phillip Archer.

The 45-year-old has played on some of the biggest stages in world golf, having qualified for both the US Open and the Open Championship. Archer has also finished runner-up on the European Tour on no fewer than three occasions.

But the Warrington-born player knows all about the prestige that comes with playing against America in the PGA Cup and admits selection for this year’s event at Foxhills Resort in September had been on his priority list.

“It’s a high for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Archer, who has experience of playing in team events after helping Great Britain & Ireland to victory in the Seve Trophy back in 2007.

“Two years ago I came off Tour and tried to make this a target, to get into the PGA Cup team so it’s my first time of trying and I got in so I’m very much looking forward to it.

“I loved me time out on the European Tour. I got close to winning a few times but when I switched back to the PGA this is the ultimate aim, to try and represent your country at the PGA Cup.”

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Archer qualified for the GB & Ireland team after finishing third in the PGA Professional Championship at Luttrellstown Castle back in June.

He will form a ten-man team led by Scotsman Albert MacKenzie, and Archer has been impressed by his leadership qualities.

“I met Albert in the PGA Play-Offs for the first time back in October in Saunton and we got on straight away,” Archer continued.

“I said I was gunning to try and get into his team and he was very welcoming when I did that. It’s great to get in and hopefully I can do him proud.”

Experience is a word that Archer and many of his other team mates have used to describe MacKenzie’s Great Britain & Ireland team this time around.

Archer is one of eight players to have experienced life on the European Tour and feels the hosts have a good chance of winning the event on home soil for the first time since 2005 in Ireland.

He added: “Looking at the team we have a lot of experience. We have a few ex-tour players in there so with got a lot of experience with the players that we’ve got and hopefully I can add a little bit to that.

“I’ve met a lot of the team already. A good friend of mine, Gary Houston, got in who I rate very highly.

“Rob Coles, Matthew Cort, Greig Hutcheon, I know them all from playing against them in the past so it’s going to a well-bonded team I think.”

For more information about the PGA Cup and to follow all the action and live scoring from Foxhills from September 15-17 click here.

GB I PGA Cup Team 002 Web