EUROPEAN Tour golfer Phil Archer maintained his great form with a strong finish in the Barclays Scottish Open on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Birchwood Golf Club professional held his own in an elite field at the Loch Lomond event, and finished ahead of former major winners Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen.

Archer finished joint 30th to earn himself almost 28,000 Euros - his largest cheque of the year - after completing the tournament with a three under par final round of 68.

He had earlier registered rounds of 70, 67 and 72 to give him a final event tally of 277.

Archer is competing on the Tour for the third time and is revelling in his latest globetrotting experience.

His second biggest payday of the year so far came from the Open de France at Le Golf National at the end of June.

Archer's 285 - made up of rounds of 70, 73, 69 and 73 - earned him almost 27,000 Euros. His joint 31st-place finish was 61 positions above Welsh wizard and 2006 Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam.

Four days later Archer collected almost 26,000 Euros from the Smurfit European Open at The K Club, Ireland, where the Ryder Cup will be played next year.

His best of four rounds on that course in a 294 total was 71.

His highest-placed finish of the 2005 Tour remains joint 24th at the South Africa Airways Open in Durban in January. That success earned him close to 7,000 Euros.

After Scotland, Archer, who has moved house from Warrington to Newton, will be jetting to Germany to tackle the Deutsche Bank Players' Championship of Europe at Gut Kaden, Hamburg, from July 21 to 24.

Archer, whose father was a founder member of Birchwood Golf Club, has been professional since 1991 and highlights snooker and Manchester United as his other sporting loves.