GUSTS OF 35mph meant less than three hours’ play was possible on the second day of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha, with the second leg of the European Tour’s Middle East swing now cut to 54 holes.
American John Daly was among those who did not hit a shot, but the 45-year-old ranked 543rd in the world moved into the lead when Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano bogeyed two of his first five holes before the suspension came just before 9.15am.
Former British Open champion Daly, chasing his first victory for eight years, goes into the weekend five under par, while Fernandez-Castano, who won the Singapore Open in November when that event was trimmed to three rounds because of thunderstorms, is a stroke behind along with Korean KJ Choi and Australian Jason Day.
Choi was another who did not have to play, while Day’s six opening pars means he has still to record a bogey in the tournament.
Lee Westwood’s day began well with a birdie on the 11th, but he double-bogeyed the next and when he ran up a five on the 410-yard 14th he was one over and only joint 48th along with Graeme McDowell, who had bogeyed the 11th and birdied the 14th.
Despite the conditions Ireland’s Damien McGrane went to the turn in a five-under 31, but he had started with a 78 and so was still only one over, while four birdies in six holes by South African Branden Grace, twice a winner already this season, lifted him into a tie for 15th on one under.
Officials were close to deciding on a 12.15pm restart, but then the gusts went up again and that was too much to keep balls still on the greens.
It was decided to call off play for the day at 2pm and announced soon afterwards by tournament director David Probyn that the sponsors did not want the event to extend into Monday.
Play is scheduled to resume at 8.45am today – it was 6.30am on the first two days – and the aim is to complete the second round by the end of the day and then stage the third round and final round on Sunday.
Fernandez-Castano, with a chance to go top of the Ryder Cup points table by winning, said: “It was windy when we went out and I had a few birdie chances, but then I bogeyed two holes into the wind.
“I hope tomorrow I can take advantage of the remaining 10 holes I have. I didn’t have any balls moving, but certain shots you could hardly keep balanced. Being selfish I’m quite happy play was called off.”
US Open champion Ryu So-yeon fired a stunning 11-under-par round of 61 to take a four-shot lead at the midway point of the Australian Ladies Masters on the Gold Coast.
