Goggin, Ogilvy and O'Malley discuss high winds

And the peak amateur body insists that the 60-plus km/h gale meant nothing could have been done to keep players out on the course.

Golf Australia's championship director of the Australian Open, Trevor Herden told Inside Golf that players’ requests were listened to and acted upon the day before.

He said the greens had been slowed from 12 to ten on the stimp and water had been applied the night before in an attempt to offset the wind.

Herden said this was an isolated incident faced by several tournament officials this year alone.

And he remained firm that suspending play was the right decision despite suggestions from some players that the situation was avoidable.

“There were four other tournaments in the last year that had the same issue,” he told Inside Golf.

“The Alfred Dunhill Links, Houston Open, Johnnie Walker in Asia and Irish Open all had to stop in the last 12 months due to wind.

“Normally a ball will start oscillating on a flat green when the wind reaches 50 kilometres an hour.

“When it’s not a flat green and the wind hits over 60 km/h, it’s impossible to play proper golf.

Herden said he spoke with Geoff Ogilvy and listened to his concerns.

He said his advice coupled with a weather forecast of around 30 km/h winds predicted for after 1pm, forced him to act accordingly.

But when the wind speed more than doubled and arrived hours earlier, Herden had no choice but to force players from the course until the weather settled.

“When a player can’t even stand up properly, you have to take some action.

“I did everything possible – not cutting greens and watering.

“In fact, I don’t know how slow you’d have to make those greens for the ball not to move on those greens in that wind.”

Compounding the issue for Golf Australia and Herden amongst players has also been the history of play being suspended at the national championship.

But Herden was quick to distance himself from the decisions made under previous administrators of Golf Australia and the former AGU.

He said the events that unfolded at New South Wales Golf Club were completely different to previous events.

“The previous opens were all down to poor pin placements,” he said.

“This year’s Open was about the wind. And when the wind reaches that level, there’s nothing you can do.

“In 1987 at Royal Melbourne, the hole was actually put on the slope of the third hole of the composite course.

“This made it impossible.

“In 2002 at Victoria, that hole location was about three metres from where it should have been.

“The greens were quick that week, but that wasn’t the issue. It again was the hole location that was unplayable.

“In 2005, the hole wasn’t correct and with the strong wind, it only added to the problem.”

Asked why Golf Australia decided to use a venue that presented the possibility of strong winds and play being suspended.

Herden said Sydney offered only a limited number of choices for championship golf.

“If you don’t use Royal Sydney, New South Wales or The Lakes, where else would you use in Sydney?”

“New South Wales is a great golf course. But if it blew 65 at Pebble Beach you wouldn’t be playing either.

“You can’t pick a venue based on wind.

“And I think the guys would have really got upset if we made them stay out and play.

“Golf courses throw up a lot of scenarios and you have to deal with them accordingly.”