Qatar Masters: wild sandstorm, lightning delay with Ryder Cup star near top of leaderboard

The weather played an annoyingly massive role during the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

A wild sandstorm blew through Doha, Qatar, early Thursday, forcing a suspension of the first round of play at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

The winds picked up, quickly blinding the players on the course.

“It just whipped up, the wind,” said Scotsman Stephen Gallacher, who played for the European Ryder Cup team in 2014. “When [the wind] gets up here, it can be tricky because it [blows] right across the whole golf course... It’s always a tough track, a tough walk through the sand as well.”

The DP World Tour suspended play around 12:30 p.m. local time. The first round resumed at 1:45 p.m. when the winds subsided.

Half of the field were then able to finish their rounds, including 2023 Ryder Cup star Robert MacIntyre, who carded a bogey-free 6-under 66.

“It’s just about giving yourself chances and trying to hole the putts,” MacIntyre said after the round. “It’s the best I’ve seen this place, and I’ve been playing well.”

MacIntyre most recently finished in a tie for 26th at the Andalucia Masters. His best finish this season came at the Genesis Scottish Open, where Rory McIlroy bested him by one, thanks to McIlroy’s heroics on the 72nd hole.

But the happy-going Scotsman decided to make some changes this fall, including swapping caddies and playing a different ball.

Nevertheless, he is in contention again at a course that suits his eye.

“The course is in immaculate condition,” MacIntyre said.

Many other players raved about Doha Golf Club, the host of the Qatar Masters.

“I love this golf course and, when it got quite windy towards the end, I enjoyed that, and it was good fun,” said Ewen Ferguson of Scotland, who, like MacIntyre, shot 66 on Thursday.

“Not as different as I thought. It’s in immaculate condition again; it’s just a bit hot.”

Indeed, temperatures in Qatar reached the high 80s on Thursday, and the weather is forecasted to hover in the low 90s throughout the weekend.

That could lead to more sandstorms, should the wind pick up, but it could also lead to ominous thunderstorms, which was the case Thursday evening.

The first round of play was suspended at 3:02 p.m. local time, roughly 75 minutes after play resumed after the sandstorm delay.

The weather certainly created a whirlwind of a schedule on Thursday, as Scott Jamieson of Scotland and Daniel Hiller of New Zealand lead at 7-under after 18 holes.

“[The wind] makes a big difference,” Hiller said after his round.

“It makes it harder to hit fairways, and if you’re missing fairways, it’s really hard to control the ball. The greens are firm, so it’s really hard to stop it. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes this afternoon, but I’ll be at the hotel kicking up my feet, so happy days.”

Hiller should be feeling happy after his round, but with the first round suspended, the entire 132-person field at the Qatar Masters is kicking up their feet this afternoon.

Half the field will have an early start ahead of them on Friday, as play resumes at 6:30 a.m. local time.

They will likely have to deal with the early morning humidity, which Jamieson and everyone else in the morning wave dealt with on Thursday.

“The only problem about being out first is it is so humid, but you obviously get less wind,” Jamieson said.

Golf Channel will air live coverage of the Qatar Masters beginning at 4 a.m. ET Friday.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.