Doha: India`s SSP Chowrasia, Shiv Kapur and Jeev Milkha Singh will have to return on Saturday to complete their second round in the truncated Commercial bank Qatar Masters where strong winds brought day two to a premature halt.
Winds of 40mph gales battered the field at Doha Golf Club and reduced the event to a 54-hole tournament.
Chowrasia, who had a first round of one-over 73 was one-over through nine holes in the second and with a total of two-over he was tied 73rd as the top-65 and ties make the cut.
Jeev, who was three-over 75 for first round was one-over through four holes when play was stopped. At four-over for 22 holes he is tied 92nd.
Shiv Kapur (75) in first round had not even begun his second round.
Just 163 minutes of golf had been played when European Tour officials called in the players who had taken to the course, including overnight leader Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano who may have breathed a sigh of relief after dropping two shots on his opening seven holes to fall back to joint second place.
The play will resume at 8.45am.
Despite a delay of almost five hours, Thursday’s high winds refused to die down and play was finally suspended for the day leaving the players with a two-round cut after play ends. (Saturday).
Of those who did manage to face the elements, Ireland’s Damien McGrane coped admirably with the wind picking up five birdies in his opening nine holes after starting at six-over par, while South African Branden Grace also fared well with four birdies in his six holes before play was suspended.
World Number Three Lee Westwood who dropped two shots in six holes moved to one over par for the tournament.
American John Daly is out in front even though the former Open and USPGA Champion didn’t even tee up on Friday.
Gonzalez-Castano’s two dropped shots means Daly’s opening round of 67 (-5) puts him back out in front, one shot ahead of the Spaniard, Korea’s KJ Choi and Australian Jason Day, who managed to complete six holes in level par on Thursday, on four under.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 03, 2012, 22:22