Michael Hoey ready to defend title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Northern Irishman Michael Hoey may not have done well in the past few months, but he desperately seeks to defend his title at the upcoming Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is scheduled to start from October 4 to 7, at Old Course at St Andrews.
Hoey recently spoke to the media about his plans for the tournament. The Northern Ireland’s star said that his biggest goal for the season is to defend his title in Scotland.
Earlier this year, he won the Trophée Hassan II and added the fourth European Tour title to his resume. However, he lost his form after that and has not been able to record a single top-20 finish since then.
Therefore, winning the title this week may not be easy for Hoey, as the roster will be featuring some of the big names from all over the world.
Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson, who recently made the Europeans feel proud by performing well in the Ryder Cup, have already committed to participate in the event.
In the meantime, Hoey believes that the strong field will not matter much to him. Last year, he held his nerves in the final round for a 68 and outshined his compatriots, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.
Therefore, he is expecting a similar performance this year, without thinking much about his rivals in the field.
Moreover, this will be his first appearance in any tournament as a defending champion. Therefore, he wants to enjoy the new experience and remain in contention till the end of the tournament.
“I’ve never defended a title before, for one reason or another, so it’ll be fantastic,” said Hoey. “I love links golf and with all the celebrities playing it’s a very special week”.
“Last year was dream golf. I had three rounds of 66, then playing with Graeme and having Rory just ahead, to finish it off the way I did with three birdies in the last four holes was the stuff of dreams. I had a few friends over watching and it was a special
day,” he added.
Tags: