Golf:Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano overcame a desert storm to grab the lead away from American John Daly on the opening day of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha today.
Daly’s return to form — he is 543rd in the world — with a five under-par-67 looked an unreachable target for the later starters as conditions worsened, but Fernandez-Castano, on course for a Ryder Cup debut later this year, birdied four of the last five holes for a brilliant 66.
The 31-year-old from Madrid, wearing sunglasses to limit the amount of sand blowing in his eyes, had a remarkable nine birdies during his round, but also bogeys on the fourth, long 10th and 13th.
Three months after walking out of the Australian Open saying he had run out of balls - several of them had just been hit into a lake - 45-year-old Daly surprised even himself with five birdies and no dropped shots.
“It’s one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in a wind like that,” said the American. “You feel like you are eating a lot of sand - it was brutal. I’m pretty shocked myself. I had five-and-a-half weeks off and really didn’t touch a club much.”
It was in similar conditions - without the sand - that Daly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews, but his last victory was eight years ago and he no longer has a PGA Tour card in his home country.
Beneath it all, though, lurks a golfer of rare talent and he showed it again with birdies at the 13th and 16th to turn in 34, then picked up more strokes on the third, seventh and ninth.
Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal was another to reach five under, but then came four bogeys in the last seven holes for a 71.
Korean KJ Choi tucked in just behind with a 68, while Scot Paul Lawrie - another ex-Open champion, of course -
England’s Richard Finch, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Swede Peter Hanson were one further back.
World number four Martin Kaymer, who missed the cut in his defence of the Abu Dhabi Championship last week, shot one under, to leave him level with Lee Westwood and one ahead of Sergio Garcia.
Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie were best of the Irish on one under, while Graeme McDowell had to settle for a 73. Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry were three over after 75s, one ahead of Gareth Maybin and three better off than Damien McGrane.
Defending champion Thomas Bjorn slumped to a 79.
