Tom Lewis at the Qatar Masters. Picture by Jon Walley/Commercialbank Qatar Masters

WELWYN Garden City golfer Tom Lewis had to contend with high winds and sand blowing across the Doha Golf Club course in the first round of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy.

After the first day’s play the 21-year-old was tied 94th after firing a four-over par 76 in tough conditions earlier today (Thursday).

He has plenty of work to do tomorrow (Friday) if he is to make the projected cut which currently sits at one-over.

Topping the leaderboard after day one is Spain’s Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, who wore sunglasses to keep sand out of his eyes.

His superb six-under put him one shot ahead of big-hitting American John Daly, who said of the conditions: “It was brutal. It’s weird you feel like you’re eating a lot of sand out there.”