Hoey scores first Euro Tour win the hard way
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey came from five shots back and then won a play-off at the third extra hole to capture his first European Tour title on Sunday.
Thirty-year-old Hoey, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, winner of the British Amateur title at Prestwick in 2001, at long last joining former Walker Cup team-mates Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell and Nick Dougherty as a winner on the circuit, beat Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in the Estoril Portuguese Open at Oitavos Dunes to the west of Lisbon. It won him £192,755 and a two-year Tour exemption - and it made him the first player out of four to beat the Madrid golfer in sudden death.
They had tied on the seven-under-par mark of 277, with world number 273 Hoey scoring a joint best-of-the-day 66 after teeing off joint 19th, but fearing that a missed eight-footer on the last would cost him dear.
It didn't, though, and after holing from the same distance to triumph he said: "It's a joke really - a bit of a dream. I didn't really think about winning going out, but I was lucky - I got all the breaks.
"I couldn't believe I was in the play-off, let alone getting up and down, up and down, up and down."
The play-off began with two more trips down the 18th. Both players missed the green first time, but reigning British Masters champion Fernandez-Castano holed from eight feet and Hoey from four.
Next time the Spaniard almost converted a 35-foot birdie attempt and Hoey, short of the green once more, sank a five-footer to stay alive.
When they switched to the 17th they missed the green again. This time, however, Fernandez-Castano missed from 12ft and Hoey seized his chance.
Thirty-year-old Hoey, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, winner of the British Amateur title at Prestwick in 2001, at long last joining former Walker Cup team-mates Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell and Nick Dougherty as a winner on the circuit, beat Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in the Estoril Portuguese Open at Oitavos Dunes to the west of Lisbon. It won him £192,755 and a two-year Tour exemption - and it made him the first player out of four to beat the Madrid golfer in sudden death.
They had tied on the seven-under-par mark of 277, with world number 273 Hoey scoring a joint best-of-the-day 66 after teeing off joint 19th, but fearing that a missed eight-footer on the last would cost him dear.
It didn't, though, and after holing from the same distance to triumph he said: "It's a joke really - a bit of a dream. I didn't really think about winning going out, but I was lucky - I got all the breaks.
"I couldn't believe I was in the play-off, let alone getting up and down, up and down, up and down."
The play-off began with two more trips down the 18th. Both players missed the green first time, but reigning British Masters champion Fernandez-Castano holed from eight feet and Hoey from four.
Next time the Spaniard almost converted a 35-foot birdie attempt and Hoey, short of the green once more, sank a five-footer to stay alive.
When they switched to the 17th they missed the green again. This time, however, Fernandez-Castano missed from 12ft and Hoey seized his chance.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
277 Michael Hoey 66 76 69 66, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 70 72 68 67 (Hoey won sudden-death play-off at third extra hole).
278 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 71 68 68
279 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 70 72 67 70, Jamie Donaldson 71 69 67 72, Paul Broadhurst 71 68 67 73
280 Steve Webster 68 72 71 69, Paul Lawrie 71 69 68 72, Alastair Forsyth 67 73 69 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 73 69 69, David Lynn 69 73 65 73
281 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 67 71 71 72, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 71 73 66 71, David Horsey 68 74 71 68, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 71 64 74, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 74 70 71 66, Callum Macaulay 70 70 72 69, David Dixon 69 73 68 71, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 72 71 70 68, Ross McGowan 64 73 71 73
282 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 70 73 67 72, Robert Rock 69 72 71 70, Stuart Davis 70 69 74 69, Andrew Coltart 71 72 71 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 70 73 73 66, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 75 67 71, Chris Doak 68 70 73 71
283 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 72 69 70, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 69 73 75 66, Mark Brown (USA) 73 68 69 73
284 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 70 72 75 67, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 71 71 71, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 69 73 71 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 74 68 73 69, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 69 73 73 69
285 Richard Bland 70 70 74 71, Marcus Higley 70 73 73 69, Phillip Archer 72 69 69 75, Rhys Davies 71 73 73 68, Pablo Martin (Spa) 72 69 70 74, Simon Dyson 67 72 73 73, Simon Wakefield 70 73 71 71
286 Chris Wood 74 70 69 73, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 73 70 72 71, Stuart Manley 75 66 73 72, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 70 74 65 77, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 75 76 66, David Drysdale 71 71 76 68, Lee Slattery 72 72 72 70, John E Morgan 70 72 73 71, Stephen Gallacher 70 73 74 69, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 69 74 72 71, Miles Tunnicliff 69 70 74 73
287 Garry Houston 69 73 71 74, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 75 69 75 68, Phillip Price 72 70 75 70, Wil Besseling (Ned) 71 73 72 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 70 72 73 72, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 72 72 70 73, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 74 70 70 73, Ricardo Santos (Por) 68 74 76 69, Paul McGinley 70 74 72 71
288 Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 73 70 73 72, Michael Curtain (Aus) 70 74 71 73, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 72 69 69 78, David Frost (Rsa) 71 71 71 75, Gregory Havret (Fra) 69 75 76 68
289 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 71 74 76
290 Antonio Sobrinho (Por) 69 75 76 70, Mark Foster 68 74 75 73
291 Marc Cayeux (Zim) 72 72 78 69
292 Federico Colombo (Ita) 70 74 75 73, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 69 75 76 72, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 72 72 73 75
293 Tiago Cruz (Por) 71 72 78 72
295 Nuno Campino (Por) 70 74 79 72
278 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 71 68 68
279 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 70 72 67 70, Jamie Donaldson 71 69 67 72, Paul Broadhurst 71 68 67 73
280 Steve Webster 68 72 71 69, Paul Lawrie 71 69 68 72, Alastair Forsyth 67 73 69 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 73 69 69, David Lynn 69 73 65 73
281 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 67 71 71 72, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 71 73 66 71, David Horsey 68 74 71 68, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 71 64 74, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 74 70 71 66, Callum Macaulay 70 70 72 69, David Dixon 69 73 68 71, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 72 71 70 68, Ross McGowan 64 73 71 73
282 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 70 73 67 72, Robert Rock 69 72 71 70, Stuart Davis 70 69 74 69, Andrew Coltart 71 72 71 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 70 73 73 66, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 75 67 71, Chris Doak 68 70 73 71
283 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 72 69 70, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 69 73 75 66, Mark Brown (USA) 73 68 69 73
284 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 70 72 75 67, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 71 71 71, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 69 73 71 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 74 68 73 69, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 69 73 73 69
285 Richard Bland 70 70 74 71, Marcus Higley 70 73 73 69, Phillip Archer 72 69 69 75, Rhys Davies 71 73 73 68, Pablo Martin (Spa) 72 69 70 74, Simon Dyson 67 72 73 73, Simon Wakefield 70 73 71 71
286 Chris Wood 74 70 69 73, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 73 70 72 71, Stuart Manley 75 66 73 72, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 70 74 65 77, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 75 76 66, David Drysdale 71 71 76 68, Lee Slattery 72 72 72 70, John E Morgan 70 72 73 71, Stephen Gallacher 70 73 74 69, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 69 74 72 71, Miles Tunnicliff 69 70 74 73
287 Garry Houston 69 73 71 74, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 75 69 75 68, Phillip Price 72 70 75 70, Wil Besseling (Ned) 71 73 72 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 70 72 73 72, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 72 72 70 73, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 74 70 70 73, Ricardo Santos (Por) 68 74 76 69, Paul McGinley 70 74 72 71
288 Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 73 70 73 72, Michael Curtain (Aus) 70 74 71 73, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 72 69 69 78, David Frost (Rsa) 71 71 71 75, Gregory Havret (Fra) 69 75 76 68
289 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 71 74 76
290 Antonio Sobrinho (Por) 69 75 76 70, Mark Foster 68 74 75 73
291 Marc Cayeux (Zim) 72 72 78 69
292 Federico Colombo (Ita) 70 74 75 73, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 69 75 76 72, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 72 72 73 75
293 Tiago Cruz (Por) 71 72 78 72
295 Nuno Campino (Por) 70 74 79 72
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, April 07, 2009
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