Lawrie 65 Wins CB Qatar Masters

Paul Lawrie shot a bogey-free closing round of 65 to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters by four shots in Doha.

Lawrie's seven-under round was matched by Australian world number 10 Jason Day but the 43-year-old Scot rarely looked in danger of slipping up.

Day had to settle fo a share of second alongside Sweden's Peter Hanson (67), while American John Daly was also round in five-under to finish fourth on his own.

Lawrie had started the third round of the weather-truncated event just a shot clear of Nicolas Colsaerts, but the Belgian fell away badly on Sunday, a 72 seeing him finish down in a tie for ninth.

Regaining the title he last won in 1999 takes Lawrie into the world's top 50 for the first time since July 2003 - less than a year ago he was down in 272nd - and if he is still there at the end of next month he will earn his first start at Augusta for eight years.

The victory guarantees him a place in the 64-man Accenture World Match Play in Arizona later this month and the 24-man Volvo World Match Play in Spain in May.

This was the Aberdeen player's first success since his long-time coach Adam Hunter died of leukaemia in October and Lawrie was close to tears when reminded of that afterwards.

"I don't think I can play much better than that," Lawrie told Sky Sports after finishing with a 15-under par total in an event cut to 54 holes because of Friday's strong winds.

"I've been playing well for a long, long time, but it's just nice to come out one ahead and shoot seven under.

"When you've got a chance to win a tournament you don't sleep as well the night before and things go racing through your mind.

"You've got to get back to basics and I did that. I hit some nice shots coming in."

Also reminded that his 1999 victory in the tournament was followed five months later by lifting the Open Claret Jug at Carnoustie Lawrie said: "Now wouldn't that be nice to get that again?"

And as for the Ryder Cup he added: "I've been trying to keep that to the back of my mind.

"If I keep playing as I am I will get in, there's no question, but there's a long way to go and I know as well as anyone that there are a lot of good players."

CB Qatar Masters Results

Lawrie Leads Qatar Masters

Scotland's Paul Lawrie has a one-shot lead heading into the final day of the Qatar Masters on Sunday.

The 1999 Open winner shot a five-under total of 67 in his second round to lead from Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts.

The Doha tournament was reduced to 54 holes after strong winds allowed only three hours of play on Friday.

Lawrie's round included a one-stroke penalty on the 10th after he dropped his ball on his marker - for the second week running.

He told Sky Sports: "I'd never done it in my life - in 20 years on Tour - but last week in Abu Dhabi I was lucky because my caddie saw it and said the marker never moved.

"This time I wasn't sure and [senior referee] Andy McFee said I had to be 100% sure.

"I wasn't watching so you've got to take the penalty and kick on."

England's Simon Khan remains firmly in contention after a 68 left him tied for fifth.

Friday's overnight leader John Daly shot a second-round 73 to slip down the leaderboard at four under par, alongside British trio David Lynn, Anthony Wall and Marc Warren.

England's world number three Lee Westwood is one shot further back, alongside Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

Many players were forced to complete their second rounds on Saturday with the third round moved to Sunday.

Gonzo With The Wind

Strong winds ruined the second day of the Qatar Masters with less than three hours' action possible before play was called off.

Officials monitored the situation all morning after the players were first called off at 09.13am local time and were close to deciding on a 12.15pm restart.

However, the gusts went up towards 35mph again and that was too much to keep balls still on the greens.

At 13.45pm a final annoucement confirmed that no more play would be possible and shortly afterwards European Tour officials revealed that the tournament would be reduced to 54 holes.

In the limited play that was possible, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano fell out of the lead after starting the day with a one-shot advantage following a superb six-under 66.

The 31-year-old from Madrid, resuming on the back nine, bogeyed the 13th and 14th to slip back to four under.

Daly back in front

That meant American John Daly was back in front, at five-under, without hitting a shot.

Fernandez-Castano was alongside Australian Jason Day and Korean KJ Choi in second place. Choi had yet to tee off again, but Day's six pars before the stoppage meant he was still to drop a shot in the tournament.

Lee Westwood's day began well with a birdie on the 11th, but he double-bogeyed the next and when he ran up a five on the 410-yard 14th he was one over and only joint 48th.

Despite the conditions Ireland's Damien McGrane went to the turn in a five-under 31, although, having started with a 78, he was still only one over.

But four birdies in six holes by South African Branden Grace, twice a winner already this season, lifted him into a tie for 15th on one under.

The stoppages, reduction to 54 holes and rescheduling didn't go down well with several players.

Westwood posted a photo on Twitter and wrote in the caption: "It is now comfortably better conditions than we played in yesterday afternoon."

And in a follow-up tweet he added: "8.45 restart tomorrow which I can't quite understand. Cutting getting the 2nd round finished tomorrow fine!"

Fellow Englishman Chris Wood said on Twitter: "played 23 holes in a gale with the sand and then we get stopped?!! 54 hole tournament early starters thursday must be rubbing their hands."

Gonzo Leads in Qatar

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano overcame a desert storm to snatch the lead from John Daly on the opening day of the Qatar Masters in Doha.

The Spaniard, who is on course for a Ryder Cup debut, birdied four of the last five holes in shooting a brilliant 66.

“You feel like you are eating a lot of sand - it was brutal”John Daly

American Daly, who is 543rd in the world, earlier returned to form with a five-under-par 67.

He said: "It's one of the best rounds I've ever played in a wind like that."

Three months after walking out of the Australian Open, saying he had run out of balls - several of them had just been hit into a lake - 45-year-old Daly surprised even himself with five birdies and no dropped shots.

He added: "You feel like you are eating a lot of sand - it was brutal. I'm pretty shocked myself. I had five and a half weeks off and really didn't touch a club much."

Daly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews in simlarly windy conditions, but his last victory was eight years ago and he no longer has a PGA Tour card in his home country.

Fernandez-Castano, wearing sunglasses to keep the sand out of his eyes, had a remarkable nine birdies during his round, but also bogeyed the fourth, long 10th and 13th.

Reigning champion Thomas Bjorn is 13 shots off the lead after shooting a seven-over-par 79.