Winds stop play at St Andrews

Course designer Peter Thomson was five times Open champion

Fierce winds caused the abandonment of the first round of the British Club Professional Championship at the Duke's Course, St Andrews.

The action was stopped just 15 minutes after the first players teed off and was finally called off for the day five hours later with no change in conditions.

Play had become impossible with golf balls being blown off the green.

The course was designed by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson who had travelled from his home in Australia for the event and said he had never witnessed anything like the conditions out on the course.

Impossible

The first round will now be played on Wednesday, the second on Thursday and the leading 50 competitors will play 36 holes on Friday.

Club secretary Stephen Toon said the first games set off at 0745 BST but the players were soon back in the clubhouse.

"No-one played more than three holes as it became impossible to putt," he said.

"Peter Thomson had flown in from Melbourne and in his 50 years experience as a professional golfer had never seen anything like it."