Hoey Revives Memories Of Alfred Dunhill Victory Heading To Sicily Deciding Rounds.

Michael Hoey revived memories of his Alfred Dunhill Links victory as he kept alive a goal to regain full Tour membership with a gutsy 68 and be right in contention heading to the closing two rounds of the Rocco Forte Open at Verdura, Sicily.

Hoey looked right at home in the bright but tougher day two windier conditions grabbing six birdies and half as many bogeys that snared the early clubhouse lead at 13-under par along the shores of the “Med”.

Hoey, 38 was out in the morning half of the draw in the Euro 1m event while co-overnight leader, Sweden’s Sebestain Soderberg and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros were among those on the course after lunch.

It took Soderberg just seven holes to tie Hoey before the Swede then dropped his first shot of the event with a bogey at his 12th only to again tie Hoey when he birdied his 14th ahead of four closing pars and remain tied with Hoey.

Michael Hoey shoots rounds of 61 and 68 in Sicily. Image thanks to Euro Tour.

However, it was Quiros, and in the same boat as Hoey Tour membership-wise, who came storming home to birdie his four closing holes in round of 64 to go two clear of Hoey & Sodenberg atop of the board at 15-under.

“It was hard towards the end, I used up a lot of adrenaline yesterday,” Hoey said.

“I hadn’t been in that position for a long time, to feel nervous on the golf course. I was a little bit tired on the last seven or eight holes.

“I got it in in kind of level par the last few holes which was decent and it was tricky in the wind. It’s all about the next two days, I’m in a good position.”

But if Hoey needed any further incentive to regain his card he had that as his opening 36-hole effort is a lowest since he went 12-under for the first two days on route to denying fellow Ulstermen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in capturing the 2011 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The Ulsterman, and sporting a good growth of facial hair as he had done in winning at St. Andrews, kick-started his second round of just a seventh event this season, but only a fifth on the main Tour, with a birdie at the second but gave the shot straight back at the next.

He jumped straight back in the overtaking lane birding the next four “uneven” holes, namely five, seven, nine and 11, before a second bogey at the 14th and ending birdie and bogey.

 

And West Waterford’s Gary Hurley, who had been third last into the field, posted a bizarre chalk-and-cheese round grabbing five birdies over his outward nine but then recording nine pars in his homeward half.

It handed the 26-year old a round of 66 to be right in the mix at nine-under.

Hurley’s effort also is his lowest opening 36-hole low since he went 13-under and on route to a Tour career best of T4th in last year’s Challenge Tour Montecchia Open by Lyoness in Italy.



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