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Second round play at a Japanese golf event was temporarily suspended following a missile launch by North Korea.

Australian pro Matt Griffin was one of 120 players affected at the Japan Golf Tour’s ANA Open in Sapporo, taking to Twitter to let people know about the alarming situation.

Speaking to the SEN Breakfast radio show, Griffin, who had posted a one-under-par 71 in the opening round, added: “We woke this morning to an alert text message that said North Korea had launched a ballistic missile and then there was one a few minutes later that said that it’s landed in the Pacific Ocean, so that was a fair relief,” he said.

“Fortunately it flew well over the top, I’ve got no idea myself (what a ballistic missile sounds like). I’m sure it was a fair way up if it’s going as far as it’s got to go into the atmosphere so fortunately it’s not too close to us at this stage.

“Over the last few months I guess tensions just gradually increased and you keep thinking or you hope that nothing will ever happen because it’s so stupid if it does and you would think that North Korea would be obliterated if it does.”

At the time, Japanese residents were told to take shelter and await further instructions. When play eventually did get back underway, only half of the field finished their rounds and Griffin was three-under-par for the tournament through six holes, six behind leader Shugo Imahira.

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