Sandstorm cuts short first days play

Just three-and-a-half hours' play was possible on the opening day of the Qatar Masters today after a desert sandstorm hit Doha.

South African James Kingston, first man out at 6.25am, was leading the field at three under par after 13 holes when visibility was cut to about 100 yards in places and the players were called in off the course.

After a couple of hours it was possible to see far enough, but the wind was gusting up to 38mph and when officials tested the conditions, balls were being blown around on five of the most exposed greens.

At 3.30pm it was decided to call off the action for the day and try for a resumption at 6.30am tomorrow.

Half the 150-strong field, including favourite Padraig Harrington and pneumonia-suffering Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley, had not even teed off.

Ian Woosnam had failed to make the most of an opening eagle in the testing conditions before the stoppage.

The local Shamal wind normally only blows hard after lunch, but it was there even for the start of the £936,000 event.

Woosnam, joint third in the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday and runner-up in Qatar three years ago, sank a 15-foot putt for a three at the 510-yard 10th after a brilliant approach.

But bogeys followed at the 13th and 14th and then the Welshman missed two golden opportunities to get back under par.

First he three-putted the 306-yard 16th after driving the green, and then he had to settle for par again at the 581-yard 18th, also playing downwind, after going long and left with his second shot.

As the storm approached Woosnam, one of the few stars appearing in an event hit by 50 withdrawals with war in Iraq looming, dropped another stroke at the 429-yard second.

Kingston kicked off with a birdie four, reached the turn in 34 and then birdied the 11th to nose in front of England's Phil Golding, Swedes Henrik Stenson and Fredrik Andersson and Belgian Nicolas Vanhootegem.

Golding, the 40-year-old from Luton who was in the first group out off the 10th tee, did not have to hole any putts longer than 10 feet as he birdied the 12th, 13th and 16th, but he then bogeyed the fourth as officials were about to call off the action.

Phillip Price, the only other member of last September's Ryder Cup team taking part, parred his first 10 holes.

Former British amateur champion Lee James was very grateful for the stoppage. He is an asthma sufferer and the sand in the air was starting to cause him a problem.

"I was already feeling it while I was out there and I'm not sure if I'd be able to play a full round if we'd gone on," he said. James was also level par after 10 holes.

Referee Andy McFee said: "There was a period when the sand was so bad that I was virtually having to close my eyes out there.

"There was a definite need for sunglasses and I was wondering if we wanted the players on the course even though the visibility had improved and the wind was not too bad."

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