We’re used to seeing bad weather on the golf course, but Friday provided what might be the worst golf weather in history when a sandstorm suspended play at this week’s European tour event.
The event in question, the Oman Open, is held at Al Mouj Golf Course in Muscat, Oman, the capital of the country. This is the second year of the tournament’s existence, and it’s safe to say organizers and European tour pros alike are trying to figure out how to best deal with the unique golf weather the country offers, namely frequent sandstorms that pummel the nation located on the east coast of the Arabian peninsula.
After calm conditions early in Friday’s second round, play was suspended when a sandstorm blew over the course wreaking havoc. In addition to the effects of the stinging, airborne sand, players had to deal with high winds from the storm.
The wind was so strong that “first-round leader Kurt Kitayama played a shot onto a green and saw his ball get blown into a bunker,” according to the Associated Press.
In another incident, pro Joachim Hansen had to step away from his ball when sand blew into his face. At times, the greens were not visible from the fairways and tee boxes.
After a five-hour delay, play was finally called for the day.
Play at the #OmanOpen is suspended for the day 🇴🇲
High winds at the course means Round 2 will resume at 07:40 local time tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/eU9mSQsfxE
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 1, 2019
With a little luck and slightly better golf weather, the second round will resume at 7:40 a.m. local time on Saturday.
