Congratulations to HSPSE student Michael Hoey who held off major winners and compatriots Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.Hoey, who began the week 271st in the Official World Golf Ranking, carded a final round of 68 at St Andrews for a 22 under par total of 266 to claim his second European Tour title of the season and the first prize of €588,148.
"It hasn't sunk in yet and it won't for a while," Hoey admitted."It's taken a long time but I supposed in a weird way you enjoy it more because you have struggled through six goes at the Qualifying School.
"It's not nice running out of money, being away from home, questioning your swing, and there are points where you wonder 'Do I want to continue with this."
Hoey, 32, began the final round three ahead of McDowell and five clear of McIlroy, only for McIlroy to card four birdies and an eagle in a brilliant front nine of 30 to move into the lead.
The US Open Champion birdied the second and then holed his second shot to the par four third for an eagle two, his approach pitching past the flag but spinning back into the hole. Further birdies at the sixth, seventh and ninth took McIlroy top of the leaderboard before Hoey hit back from his second bogey of the day on the seventh with birdies at the eighth and ninth to draw level.
McIlroy pulled ahead again after a superb tee-shot on the par three 11th finished just two feet from the hole, but that surprisingly proved to be the 22 year old's last birdie of the day. Hoey missed from four feet for birdie on the 14th after hitting two drivers to the front of the green - "I felt I was throwing this away at that stage," he admitted - but quickly put that disappointment behind him with birdies on the next two holes from close range to take a lead he would not relinquish.
"Playing with Graeme (McDowell), he's such a battler and wanted to win himself, but he said to me a couple of times on the green 'Knock it in' and fortunately at the end I was able to put a bit of fight in myself," Hoey added. "I knew I had to hit two of the best shots of my life into 16 and 17 and I was really pleased I was able to produce those."
Hoey who works with putting coach Phil Kenyon and full swing coach Jamie Gough mentioned his work with both coaches in his interview with Sky Sports.
Hoey began work with Phil Kenyon in March 2010 in an effort to take the step up from a player that was drifting bewteen Challenge and European Tours. A series of steady performances saw him keep his card in 2010 before he embarked on a 2011 season that has brought him two victories and his most succesfull year to date.
