Play halted at Qatar Masters

A sandstorm has forced the suspension of play on the opening round of the Qatar Masters in Doha.

The storm reduced visibility to just 100 yards, forcing organisers to call the players off the course.

South Africa's James Kingston, the first man out this morning, currently leads the field on three under par after 13 holes.

Stephen Browne and Graham Spring were the only Irishmen to begin their rounds, with Browne on two over par after eight holes and Spring one shot further back after nine.

The 75 golfers who have already teed off are waiting to see if they can complete their opening rounds, but the remainder of the field have been given leave to return to their hotels as there was no chance of them teeing off until tomorrow.