Australian Scott Strange leads the field in the New Zealand Open in Auckland, battling high winds and heavy rain.

IRELAND’S Stephen Browne wrote his own piece of golfing history in Kazakhstan yesterday when he became the first winner of a professional golf tournament in the country’s history.

ERNIE ELS will take an eight-shot lead into the delayed final day of the BMW Asian Open he feels has descended into “chaos.”

Irish Open Leaderboard

Just three-and-a-half hours’ play was possible on the opening day of the Qatar Masters today after a desert sandstorm hit Doha.

Irishman Gary Murphy carded a 64, including nine birdies, to lead after the first round of the Austrian Open at Murhof.