Toxic air troubles Oz Open golfers

– Players complained of stinging eyes with one forced to wear a face mask as toxic smoke from bushfires choking Sydney blighted the opening round of golf’s prestigious Australian Open yesterday.

Two young Asian amateurs upstaged a field packed with big names preparing for next week’s Presidents Cup against the Tiger Woods-led US as the event was shrouded in haze from fires burning out of control throughout the state of New South Wales.

Japan’s Takumi Kanaya (right) and Taiwan’s Yu Chun-an, both 21-year-old amateurs, led after day one with six-under-par 65s.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Cameron Smith were the highest-placed Presidents Cup players after both fired three-under 68s.

Australian number one Adam Scott, one of the leading figures in Ernie Els’ International team, complained his airways felt dirty after struggling to a four-over 75.

“It feels like I should shove a bit of salt water up my nose or something and try and rinse myself out. Obviously not the conditions we want to be playing in,” said

Scott.

The 2015 Australian Open champion Matt Jones was among a group of three sitting two strokes behind and said the conditions at Sydney’s Australian Golf Club were some of the worst he had encountered.

“I’m not sure what the forecast is, but the smoke’s not good at all. It’s tough to see your golf ball when you’re out there playing, where it finishes. Your eyes do burn,” he said.

“I’ve got that cough like you’ve got something in your lungs, phlegm in your lungs, but it’s not fun. I hope my kids are inside in the hotel room.”

Sydney’s air quality index registered levels of pollutants on a par with Beijing yesterday forcing asthmatic NZ golfer Ryan Chisnall to don a face mask. – AFP