Michael Hoey keeps Rory McIlroy at bay to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – Golf news
Michael Hoey stood firm against a raging Rory McIlroy to claim his third European Tour victory for the season at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Northern Irishman had been leading the event in previous rounds and battered one of the toughest fields
to surge up the leaderboard on the final day, in Scotland.
Hoey pulled in a final round of 68 to finish for an aggregate of 22-under, 266, playing the Old Course at St. Andrews on the final day, holding a two-shot victory over the fast approaching contender, McIlroy. Hoey admitted, “It hasn't sunk in yet and it
won't for a while. 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.”
Hoey opened up his final round with an overnight lead of three shots over country mate, Graeme McDowell and a five shot lead over the reigning US Open champion, McIlroy. The event turned out to be an all-Irish affair where McIlroy and McDowell settled for
second and third places, respectively.
McIlroy was one of the most followed players on the course as he overtook a colossal deficit of five shots to throw himself into contention for the summit. The 22-year-old Irishman carded a birdie on the second hole and pulled a glamorous eagle on par-four,
3rd. He carded three more birdies before making the turn and was then leading the event.
Hoey, who had fallen for two bogeys, came back with birdies at eighth and ninth holes to manage a draw. McIlroy started-off his back nine with a blistering tee shot for the 11th and pulled in a spectacular birdie for the same. This, however, proved
to be the last birdie for the young trailblazer, who later dropped down on the leaderboard to settle for an outright second.
McIlroy was hoping to win for the third time on the tour this season, as this is the second time in a month where he almost lifted the cup after a joint third in the Omega European Masters. Hoey collected a winner’s cheque of €588,148, along with precious
Race to Dubai points.
Tags: