Doha, Mar 15: David Howell of England was at the top of the leaderboard of the weather-disrupted Qatar Masters golf tournament in Doha on Friday (March 14). Howell was clubhouse leader on 6-under-par after being one of the few players able to complete his second round after a sandstorm had allowed less than four hours of play in the opening round on Thursday (March 13). With calm weather restored on Friday, the first round was completed with Howell leading after a 6-under round of 66, two shots clear of South African James Kingston, Philip Golding of England and Irishman Paul McGinley. Howell was then one of the early starters in the second round which he was able to complete, shooting a level-par 72 with three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys. Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy was level with Howell after completing 12 holes of his second round, with McGinley one shot back after playing 13 and Gregory Havret of France after 10.


Neither Kingston nor Golding were able to begin their second rounds and they were in a group of five players on 4-under.


Irishman Padraig Harrington moved into contention also on 4-under after three successive birdies, but a double bogey and a bogey dropped him to one-under after 14 holes.


The round will be completed early on Saturday (March 15) before the halfway cut is set for round three.


Leading scores after the completion of the first round of the Qatar Masters at the par-72 Doha Golf Club on Friday (Britain unless stated): 66 David Howell 68 Philip Golding, James Kingston (South Africa), Paul McGinley (Ireland) 69 Thomas Norret (Denmark), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Marten Olander (Sweden), Paul Broadhurst, Marc Farry (France), Gregory Havret (France), Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 70 Richard Sterne (South Africa), David Park, Ed Stedman (Australia), Steven Bowditch (Australia), David Dixon, Simon Dyson (England), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Jean-Francois Remesy (France), Miles Tunnicliffe, Gary Birch Jnr, Ian Garbutt, Francois Delamontagne (France)


Bureau Report