Dubai event hit by fog again

Further thick fog caused the Dubai Desert Classic to lose even further time today.

After a 2 1/2-hour delay at the start of the first round, play had been due to resume at 7.15am local time, but it looked likely that the hold-up would be not quite as long this time.

Half the 150-strong field had still to complete their opening 18 holes – Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie among them.

World No 1 Woods had reached the 13th green at level par, eight adrift of overnight leader Bradley Dredge.

Woods, who on Wednesday afternoon flew to see 6,000 American troops on the aircraft carrier George Washington in the Gulf, turned in two under, but then ran up a double-bogey seven on the long 10th.

Montgomerie was on the same mark after 14 holes and Harrington three under.

Ryder Cup team-mate Phil Price was two under, but should have been four under and joint third.

Price sank a 30-foot eagle putt on the long third, but did so with the flag still in and so a par five had to be put on his scorecard.

The Welshman, halted by bad light after 14 holes, said: “I was right on the fringe, but had marked the ball first. My caddie and I were more concerned about the line and just forgot about the flag.

“It’s never happened to me before.”

Thirteen years ago, however, Price was playing in the World Cup with Ian Woosnam in Italy when Woosnam picked up his ball on a green before marking it because he was desperate for a toilet.

That was a one-shot penalty – and Wales lost to Sweden by one.